What preparation do students need to make the most of emerging opportunities in the global economy? Although a lot of research has taken place on this question, there has been no visible consensus on what education systems should do to respond to the challenge.

That’s why The United States Council Foundation and The McGraw-Hill Research Foundation in February hosted a distinguished group of leading economists, technologists, educators and business representatives to candidly explore the impact of technology on automation and outsourcing, and corresponding education priorities for human capital development.

The goal of this groundbreaking initiative is to present a clearer picture of employability trends by synthesizing the various conversations taking place around this issue, and to offer cogent recommendations on how education systems could adapt. Participants included Andreas Schleicher, special advisor on education policy to OECD Secretary General Angel Gurría, who is responsible for the development and analysis of cross-border benchmarks on the performance of education systems.

A white paper has been commissioned to reflect the roundtable discussion intended for distribution to government agencies, academia and business – in the U.S. and globally – to influence the policy debate around these issues. For more information on this project, contact Abby Shapiro, senior vice president for business development (ashapiro@uscib.org).

Staff contact: Abby Shapiro