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2013 Summit keynote Regional collaboration paying off Author Ed Gordon cites New North as trend setter in 'Future Jobs' | I n the six years since he last spoke at the New North Summit, Northeast Wisconsin has built a commendable Ed Gordon foundation for bridging the skills gap, author Ed Gordon says. "New North has done a lot since 2007. That's why you got in the book," says Gordon, referring to "Future Jobs – Solving the Employment and Skills Crisis" (Praeger, 2013). Gordon, founder and president of Imperial Consulting Corporation, Chicago, consults with leaders in business, education government and non-profit organizations to connect the dots between available jobs and training for workers. In his book, he warns that a shortage of skilled workers to fill the jobs needed as the baby boomers retire is a serious issue nationwide, but that organizations like New North, Inc., the NEW Manufacturing Alliance and other collaborators in Northeast Wisconsin are leading the way toward curbing the crisis. "There are 7.1 million jobs vacant nationwide – that's up 2 million in the last 10 months," Gordon says. "What's driving this is the number of people retiring who are skilled workers. Remember, 70 million baby boomers are retiring over this decade and two-thirds of the jobs we need to fill will be vacated by them." By 2020, he says, 75 percent of all jobs will require not only excellent communication skills and knowledge of the world, but also an advanced degree that prepares them for a job, whether they earn a skills certificate, apprenticeship, Margare t Le Bru n Report 13 For more information on "Future Trends" go to: www.imperialcorp.com associate's, four-year or advanced degree. The New North's 5.9 percent unemployment rate is an indication the region is doing something right, Gordon says, but it is not immune to the impending crisis. "You've made great progress, keep doing it. You need to get your small businesses engaged in this process and educate parents about jobs and careers and what's coming." Employers "own this problem," he adds. "The New North is a great mediary to help solve these issues." 2013 Workplace Excellence Award winners ThedaCare and Miller Electric are winners of the New North Workplace Excellence Award, presented by New North, Inc. and Right Management Inc. Past recipients are: • 2009: Goodwill Industries of North Central Wisconsin, McCain Foods USA and Miles Kimball Company • 2010: Holy Family Memorial and Schneider National • 2011: Mid-States Aluminum Corporation, Skyline Technologies and Tank Technology • 2012: Bassett Mechanical, Hoffman LLC, JJ Keller & Associates and Nicolet Plastics 2 013 r e p o r t to t h e c o m m u n i t y 45