USCIB President Says Education Must Upskill Workforce to Stay Ahead of Technological Change

Mumbai: In a new interview with CMRubinWorld, Peter Robinson, President and CEO of USCIB, says “the guiding principle for government should be to protect and enable/retrain the worker, not protect the job.” Robinson believes that fears over jobsolescence are over-hyped, noting “…there is an established track record…of new technologies creating at least as many new jobs as they displace. Usually these new jobs demand higher skills and provide higher pay.”

When asked by C. M. Rubin what the biggest obstacle to employability is, Robinson states that “educational institutions won’t be able to keep pace with new skills demands.” He adds that schools should prioritize the arts and humanities in order to create “T-shaped individuals capable of adapting and going where the demand lies.”

The CEO of USCIB explains, “middle-class employees without higher education beyond high school need more established paths to long-term employment.” Robinson calls for increased “partnerships among employers, policy makers, and educational institutions” because “no one sector of society can address this alone.”

Peter M. Robinson has been the CEO and President of the United States Council for International Business (USCIB) since 2005. Established in 1945, USCIB builds awareness among business executives, educators and policy makers related to issues in employment, workforce training and skills management. In his position as co-chair of the B20 Employment and Education Task Force, Robinson has provided significant input to G20 leaders on training for jobs of the future. He also serves on the board of the International Organization of Employers.