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The future of work

Why Skills are Taking Center Stage

Sept. 18 at 4:00 pm EST

Register now
Carmen Bravo, UOPX alum, seated at a laptop with a child on her lap

About

Degree requirements are no longer the sole focus of employers. Skills are increasingly important to keeping up with workforce demands. But sizeable gaps remain between a worker’s skills and career opportunities, according to the most recent Career Optimism Index® study from University of Phoenix.

Workplace insights

Findings suggest focusing on skills development could help unlock talent potential, which is also supported by studies from workforce research leaders McKinsey and Deloitte.

74%

of workers recognize new skills are essential to staying ahead in their career

44%

of employers say their top hiring challenge is a lack of well-qualified applicants

Join us

Join University of Phoenix and Jobs For the Future as we discuss the future of skills-based hiring. Learn how workers can leverage career-relevant skills to acquire social capital. 

Sept. 18 at 4:00 pm EST

Register now
Illustration of a person earning skills and advancing

Speakers

Doris Savron

Doris Savron
Vice Provost, Colleges, Assessment & Curriculum
University of Phoenix

Doris Savron has nearly 25 years of experience in higher education in a variety of settings.

Doris serves as Vice Provost overseeing the strategy for University of Phoenix academic programs and curriculum design, institutional assessment and faculty. This includes oversight of strategy for degree, certificate and course offerings, design of curriculum and student learning outcomes for the University.

Doris served on the advisory council for UPCEA and AACRAO’s inaugural 2023 Convergence Conference focused on the emerging field of alternative credentials in Higher Education, and in 2024 was appointed to the UPCEA Council for Credential Innovation leadership. 

Lucy Fernandez

Lucy Fernandez
Manager, Solutions Design & Delivery
Jobs for the Future

Lucy Fernandez is a manager at Jobs for the Future. 

As a member of the Solutions Design & Delivery team, she informs the strategic direction of her project work and is helping to pioneer an insights-based approach for JFFLabs. Since joining JFF, Lucy’s work has focused on professional social capital, immersive learning technologies, and climate innovation, all with the goal of helping more workers access and prepare for quality jobs. Before joining JFF, Lucy worked in contemporary art galleries across New York and London, managing sales and relationships with artists and clients. 

Sharon Leu

Sharon Leu
Executive in Residence, JFFLabs
Jobs for the Future

Sharon Leu is an Executive in Residence at JFFLabs at Jobs for the Future.

It is a national nonprofit driving the design and scale of technology-enabled approaches to promoting economic advancement. She is focused on building infrastructure for a skills-based talent marketplace, developing interoperability standards for digital credentials technology, and empowering individuals to use their data to access opportunity.