Building The Post-Pandemic Workforce: Two Innovators' Views

Today, a look at the road ahead for the millions of Americans who’ve lost their jobs during the coronavirus pandemic. Over the past three months, as COVID-19 has taken the lives of more than 90,000 Americans and sickened over a million and a half others, it has also ravaged the US economy. Nationwide business shutdowns have produced levels of unemployment and business failure that haven’t been seen in the US since the Great Depression of the 1930s -- a crisis that prompted Congress to pass a series of multi-trillion-dollar financial relief measures. Now, as the nation’s economy gradually begins to re-open, what are the job prospects for the legions of unemployed, both here in Baltimore and across America? Tom's guests today run two of the region’s most innovative workforce development and technology training companies.Jacob Hsu is the CEO of Catalyte. His 20-year old company uses A-I systems to identify, train, and employ people as software developers, regardless of their educational backgrounds. Mr. Hsu recently announced that Catalyte is partnering with other companies and government agencies to create a national employment exchange, called RetrainAmerica, that will help workers find jobs in the nation’s technology, cybersecurity, logistics and health care sectors.Jason Green is the co-founder and Senior Vice President of SkillSmart, a workforce development company that since 2013 has been using innovative data-driven software to help businesses find and train skilled workers. Mr. Green previously held positions in local and federal government, most recently serving as Associate Counsel to President Barack Obama, advising the president and senior staff on legal, economic and domestic policy matters.Email us at [email protected], tweet us: @MiddayWYPR, or call us at 410-662-8780.