How Tech Companies Could Keep the Workforce Alive

By the time IBM introduced its personal computer in 1981, the company's "Job Training Program" was 13 years old. Secretaries and other administrative professionals across the country--workers whose jobs were affected by IBM's new computer and software--could go to one of the company's 74 job centers and gain skills in areas including computer programming, data entry, and word processing. Jobs in industries such as food services, transportation, and retail trade are at high risk of being automated, forcing workers to gain new skills to compete for well-paying jobs. From Google's self-driving cars to Apple's communication technology to Amazon's retail model, automation is becoming more and more pervasive. As communities across the U.S. witness growing gaps between the skills that workers have and the ones that employers need, workers will need training.