Stories
Cultural Vistas recently hosted an enlightening and informative discussion on the value of global skill development and the future of work and the workforce at its European office in Berlin on July 5. Jennifer Clinton, Cultural Vistas’ President and CEO, and Florian Peter, Associate Partner at McKinsey & Company, led the talk, which covered:
- Significant global work trends (Discussion begins at 8:40)
- Anxieties that prevent change (11:39)
- Staying qualified amid changing environments (13:39)
- Increased migration and employee mobility (16:22)
Watch the Discussion | View Photos
As a serial entrepreneur with two decades of experience leading a variety of companies across the United States and Germany, Florian was particularly well equipped to present a global perspective on the changing world of work and the workforce, as well as field a variety of questions on the value of interdisciplinary learning, the future of lower-skilled labor, impending skill gaps, lack of creativity with international talent, certification of non-university programs, and how to approach financing creative projects.
Both Peter and Clinton highlighted the importance of lifelong learning and the benefits of international experience in preparation for and success in the future of work.
Peter said that he credits much of his career success to his lifelong learning throughout the years even as he founded and worked in upper-level management for companies across Germany and the U.S. He identified this kind of learning to be a current “megatrend.”
“I do know from my experience having joined the firm, McKinsey, that five years ago they would have never hired me because I don’t have an Ivy League education,” he said. “But [now] they explicitly do hire people like myself because we’re looking for experience, we’re looking for people that have been in the trenches—that have done startup work, that have done agile ways of working.”
Clinton explained how Cultural Vistas’ programs help to bridge the gap between higher education and the expectations of potential employees to demonstrate these sorts of workplace experiences.
“We’re in a really creative time right now, particularly given how the dynamics are and how the workplace is changing. We’re really at the center between education and the workplace and our mission or goal is to really help prepare all of our participants during the time [they are] spending with us doing internships abroad or international experiences,” she said.