Exploring opportunities, challenges for workers and employees

Sean Hackbarth
Senior Editor, Digital Content, U.S. Chamber of Commerce

Lindsay Cates
Senior Manager, Communications and Strategy, U.S. Chamber of Commerce

David Eller
Communications and Strategy Intern, U.S. Chamber of Commerce

Published

March 27, 2025

“A job is much more than a paycheck. It's the very foundation of our self-worth. It's where we learn, it's where we grow, it's where we find purpose,” Elizabeth O’Brien, Senior Vice President for the U.S. Chamber Foundation’s Hiring Our Heroes, told the audience at Talent Forward.

The signature workforce event for the U.S. Chamber and U.S. Chamber Foundation comes as the U.S. remains in a worker shortage and as education and career readiness systems must quickly adapt to teach new skillsets that match today’s jobs – and the jobs of the future.

Some of the nation’s foremost experts in workforce development gathered at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s headquarters for timely conversations about barriers to workforce participation, the need for AI and technical skills, childcare solutions, and more.

Leaders in the private and public sectors at the local, state, and federal level reiterated their commitment to advancing an agile, engaged, and resilient workforce. Here are some of the highlights of the two-day summit.

a woman in a blue dress — Elizabeth O'Brien, Senior Vice President, Hiring Our Heroes, U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation

The Meaning of a Job

O'Brien led off the event by telling her story of struggling with employment. O’Brien was a Division I college basketball coach, but she was also a military spouse, which meant moving often.

“I wasn't always able to financially contribute to our household. I couldn't always find a job in my chosen profession,” O’Brien said. “My skills and experiences went untapped and underutilized, and most of all, I missed a sense of purpose and that sense of belonging and impact that comes with really meaningful work.”

She eventually found a job at Hiring Our Heroes, helping transitioning service members, military spouses, and veterans find meaningful jobs.

“A job is much more than a paycheck. It's the very foundation of our self-worth. It's where we learn, it's where we grow, it's where we find purpose,” O’Brien told the audience.

The Workforce Landscape

Following O’Brien, a panel of thought leaders discussed challenges and opportunities facing today’s workforce, including the declining working-age population, underemployment of college graduates, and the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on jobs.

a group of people sitting on chairs — (L-R): Scott Pulsipher of Western Governors University, Maria Flynn of Jobs for the Future, Stephen Moret of Strada Education Foundation, Vicki Greene of Pearson, and Jason Tyszko of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation

“More than half of new graduates with a bachelor's degree that go directly in the labor market do not get a college level job,” said Stephen Moret, President and CEO, Strada Education Foundation.

At the same time, “we continue to hear from employers that they can't find the skilled workers they need,” Maria Flynn, President & CEO, Jobs for the Future, said.

“What's happening in the labor market is that learners and employees don't have a transition plan, as AI is coming in” Vicki Greene, CEO and President of GED Testing Service, said. “If today I'm an accountant, and AI is coming in and taking away 50%-70% of my job, what are the skills and the abilities that I have, and how do those skills translate into the next role?”

The Policy Backdrop

Rodney Davis, the Chamber’s Senior Vice President and Head of Government Affairs, kicked off day two discussing the Chamber's efforts in workforce policy on Capitol Hill, emphasizing the importance of private sector solutions like tax provisions for student debt and childcare.

“This is not an issue that goes unnoticed on Capitol Hill,” Davis said. “We need to figure out where in the country the workforce development programs are working. What are they doing right, and how do we take advantage of that success in really trying to nuclearize that on the national scale?”

a man in a suit and tie giving a speech — Rodney Davis, Senior Vice President and Head of Government Affairs, U.S. Chamber of Commerce

Davis also spoke about his own personal experience with the high cost of childcare and the need to utilize tax code provisions and programs to ensure affordable childcare and workforce growth.

“When it comes to the issues that you all are debating and talking about today, these are the issues that are bipartisan with a capital B. That's why I see the opportunity for success.”

Improving Systems that Support Workforce Participation

Conversations on day two focused on workforce participation challenges—finding and retaining the right people to innovate, compete, and grow. Stephanie Ferguson Melhorn, the Chamber’s Executive Director of Workforce and International Labor Policy, led the opening panel on the importance of collaboration between businesses, education, and community organizations to create quality jobs.

“We're looking at strengthening the alignment between industry and education. Healthcare is an industry in North Carolina where we have had persistent workforce challenges,” said Meredith Archie, President of the North Carolina Chamber Foundation.

After building a coalition to address the healthcare workforce crisis and securing $70 million in state funding, Archie said North Carolina’s RN output increased by 8% compared to the year before, helping close a 2,400-nurse gap in the state.

a group of people sitting on a couch — (L-R): Meredith Archie of the North Carolina Chamber Foundation, John Rees of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, Amity Schuyler of the Greater Memphis Chamber, and Stephanie Ferguson Melhorn of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

In Memphis, the Greater Memphis Chamber has a strategic plan that aims to attract 50,000 advanced industry jobs and increase STEM credentials to 20,000 by 2030.

“We expect that we will see increases in household income, we expect that we will see greater educational attainment, we expect that we see fewer children in poverty as a result of solid economic development strategy that is really hyper focused on bringing intentionality of quality jobs,” said Amity Schuyler, Chief Innovation Officer / SVP Workforce Development at the Greater Memphis Chamber.

Developing a Workforce for New and Emerging Jobs

A discussion on transformative trends in the workforce led by Jaimie Francis, the U.S. Chamber Foundation’s Vice President of Policy and Programs, emphasized skill-based hiring, especially in emerging industries like healthcare.

“We've got amazing educators in our hospital systems. Why is it that we're going to hold back that innovation that can occur, hold back better pathways, and, frankly, hold back the opportunity to give access to individuals who won't have the opportunity to go to school full time, but could do a job in a hospital system and learn from the doctors. That's what we've got to move to,” said Geoffrey Roche, North America Director, Workforce Development, Siemens Healthineers.

a group of men sitting in chairs — (L-R): Arthur Orduna of The Venture Center, Jonathan Smith of Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity, Geoffrey M. Roche of Siemens Healthineers, and Jaimie Francis of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation.

Other panelists emphasized how barriers to workforce participation are hindering our workforce systems.

"How do we be for folks who would like to be in the workforce system and have a childcare issue, transportation issue, a mental health issue, a physical disability, a criminal background check. For so many reasons, there are folks who are unable to access training or unable to access work because of the barriers and the workforce system,” said Johnathan Smith, Senior Chief Deputy Director, Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity.

“It's a 360-degree approach in terms of not just the immediate roles that, say, ExxonMobil in Lafayette County needs to hire. It's all of the other services that are necessary at the community level to support that immediate workforce, the resources around the small businesses and local providers."

Technology is Reshaping Work

The day wrapped with a discussion on the impacts of technology, specifically AI, on the workforce. Speakers stressed the need for best practices to facilitate AI adoption and its great potential to empower individuals and improve social skills.

“AI is expected to displace 90 million jobs by 2030. However, it's expected to generate 170 million jobs globally, particularly those that require advanced analytical and technical and strategic skills," said Pamela Wilson, Executive Director of Strategy and Innovation, U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation.

a group of people sitting in a chair — (L-R): Brent Orrell of American Enterprise Institute, Matt Gee of Gates Foundation, and Pamela Wilson of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation.

Citing a recent study, Brent Orrell, Senior Fellow, American Enterprise Institute, said AI dramatically improved quality of work. The survey found a single individual working with AI outperformed a team that didn't have AI.

"AI can leverage the best of who we are as people and as workers,” Orrell said. “The time to become friends with AI is yesterday. If you haven’t started, you need to start right away. If you are being pressed further into it, this is going to be an indispensable part of life generally, and it's going to be critical, and I think really a non-negotiable aspect of work in the future.”

About the authors

Sean Hackbarth

Sean writes about public policies affecting businesses including energy, health care, and regulations. When not battling those making it harder for free enterprise to succeed, he raves about all things Wisconsin (his home state) and religiously follows the Green Bay Packers.