The global economy is now a reality for the workforce development system. It is shaping our workforce policies, the work of our Workforce Boards, and the delivery of our services. Understanding the principles of globalization and their impact on the system is critical to your ability to plan and lead for the future.
In this section, we provide you with some links to some key resources to help you understand the characteristics and imperatives of flat world business principles. Some of these resources come from work we've been doing with the U.S. Department of Labor and with other workforce customers. They include PowerPoint presentations and reports. We've also included links to some key sites that will help you further explore the global economy.
For more extensive information, check out our wiki, which you can access by clicking on the graphic below:
Once you've had a chance to explore and digest these materials, we think you'll agree that the workforce system will need to make some major changes if we expect to keep up with the demands of a global economy.
Understanding the Global Economy
The definitive text on the global economy is Thomas Friedman's The World is Flat: A Brief History of the 21st Century. This book explores the ways in which business practices and models have fundamentally changed in the past 10 years and the impact these changes are having on our economy and workforce system. If possible, we recommend that you start with this book.Try to get the Expanded version as it contains new insights into the kinds of skills and preparation workers will need in the new economy, in addition to a ton of examples illustrating Friedmans' key concepts
Recognizing that not everyone will want to read a 500-page book, you may want to explore some other resources that will give you the gist of Friedman's ideas:
- The Widing Group has developed a 3-page summary of the most important principles from Friedman's book. You're free to use this document for Board meetings or other activities as long as you credit The Widing Group.
- More visual/audio learners may want to check out this May 2005 lecture, delivered by Friedman at MIT. About 90 minutes in length, it gives you a longer overview of Friedman's findings. Friedman's an engaging speaker, so the video is quite informative and entertaining, even at 90 minutes.
Workforce Development in a Flat World
The Widing Group has developed a number of resources on the global economy and the workforce development system. We invite you to explore these resources to further develop your understanding of workforce systems in a flat world.
The World is Flat: How Globalization is Changing Our Workforce System
We have used versions of this presentation at several conferences and trainings, including a staff-only webinar for U.S. Department of Labor staff and the Garden State Employment and Training Association (GSETA) conference.
Labor Market Information in a Flat World
This presentation is from a training we conducted with Essex County New Jersey staff on the implications of a global economy on labor market information and job seeker career planning.
