The Changing Face of Talent Development

Learning was once thought of as a single engagement but advancements in technology are redefining the needs of employers. There is a rapidly shifting mindset that normalizes lifelong learning as a need for today's workforce. As a result, higher education institutions and employers are rethinking talent development. Likewise, today's talent pool has come to expect that the companies they work for should play a role in building their skills and abilities over time.

At SXSW EDU we are seeing the topic of talent development saturate the event. Professional development and employability & talent development were two of the most used tags during the PanelPicker process. Many of the speakers scheduled for March are passionate about building a culture of lifelong learning for a modern workforce.

The panel Emerging Strategies for Employee Retention with experts Lewis Brown Jr, Marie A. Cini, Matthew Rompala, and Lisa Schumacher, is a great example. This discussion will examine successful strategies as well as the role of things like coaching and tuition reimbursement for career development.

The session Education and Paths to Employment discusses the need for educators, business leaders, and civic leaders to adjust curriculum. This begs the question - is higher education changing fast enough to keep up with the needs of this generation?

Similar to curriculum, the conversations encompass the specific skills critical for success today. Sessions such as The New Geography of Skills and Unstuck in the Middle: Building a Skills Spectrum navigate this landscape.

Then to no surprise, content surrounding talent candidate pools plays into this topic. The panel New Ideas in Education for Transitioning Veterans and the Future20 Reskilling for Robots: How You Can Prepare are just two examples.

Dive into the SXSW EDU schedule to find more sessions and events exploring the changing face of talent development, and more.