Calvin Mackie – Contributor

Workforce development is another area in STEM ripe for Good Trouble, Necessary Trouble. The consulting company McKinsey & Co. recently published a report entitled, “The Future of Work in Black America,” projecting that automation may disrupt 4.5 million jobs held by African Americans over the next 10 years. It is believed that automation which consists of Artificial Intelligence, machine language, and robots will replace low-wage, low-skill jobs in the near future. Many are afraid that the Covid-19 pandemic will hasten the shift to automation in the American economy.

Community-based workforce development and training programs must commit to providing trainees with skills for 21st-century jobs. Opportunities Industrialization Centers of America (OICA) is an organization committed to fighting the good fight.  “We must continue to fight for the change we seek – The State of Work in this country has and continues to change with evolving technologies. OICA and its network of Affiliates are responding to these changes.  As one of the longstanding and influential historical African American Workforce Development institutions in this country, we understand that we must be STEM-focused.

“Our network of affiliates works tirelessly to prepare people of color for sustainable jobs that lead to living-wage careers.  The Digital Divide is pervasive in the communities that we serve; as such, we seek to partner with STEM experts to develop scalable models focused on developing the entire pipeline from the cradle with 21st-century skills.  Our necessary trouble is blowing up the old model and embed STEM into the 31 Affiliates and communities we serve, across 21 states, and close the divide.” says James Haynes, President & CEO of OICA.

Read the full article here. https://www.forbes.com/sites/calvinmackie/2020/08/05/good-trouble-in-stem/