Watch: UpSmith’s “The Power of Potential” panel at ACCA Next Level 2023

America’s skilled work crisis is a large and growing challenge: Over 1.3 million skilled construction and manufacturing jobs are unfilled today in the U.S., and this shortage is poised to grow 3x to more than 4.3 million by 2030 at an annual cost of more than $280 billion. Globally the problem is even greater, with an 85 million skilled worker shortfall across industries poised to cost $8.5 trillion by 2030.

This panel of experts showcases organizations that are using new technology and leveraging government initiatives to tackle the skilled worker challenge.

“The Power of Potential: Solving the Skilled Worker Crisis by Expanding the Talent Pool” shares lessons from these experiments and surfaces solutions for individuals and companies looking to grow and make an impact– both on their bottom line and in the face of this nationwide crisis. Panelists discuss the creation of private/public partnerships to utilize state workforce development dollars, and how to engage elected officials to champion the skilled trades at large.

The panel is moderated by Wyatt Smith, Founder & CEO of UpSmith and includes:

• Jeff McLanahan, Vice President of Learning and Development at American Residential Services
• Eddie McFarlane, Vice President Training, Development & Employee Engagement at Sila Services
• Stephanie Bothun, Co-founder & Vice President at Ascend Indiana
• Tony Denhart, Executive Vice President, Workforce & Talent at Indiana Economic Development Corporation.

Video footage is recorded from the ACCA Next Level event on 10/17/23 in Indianapolis, IN.