Explore the future of work skills
Skills, not just experience, will increasingly play an important role for employees and employers, says Debbie Hughes of Markle Foundation's Rework America Alliance. Digital skills are becoming fundamental, from the rise in remote work to the increase in virtual visits. "Technology will continue to accelerate and be even more integrated into every job that we have," Hughes says. Kaiser Permanente senior workforce planning consultant Brenda Purvis moderates this webcast.
Debbie Hughes is a director with the Markle Foundation, focused on its Rework America Alliance. This Alliance includes more than 30 national partners such as the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, McKinsey, National Urban League, Goodwill, Workday, IBM, edX, Walmart, Google, Microsoft, NAACP, North America's Building Trades Unions and Futuro Health. It is committed to opening opportunities for millions of unemployed and low-wage workers to move into good jobs, particularly people of color disproportionately impacted by the current economic crisis.
In her role, Hughes leads the Alliance's national partnership efforts. She helps develop tools and resources to improve the support provided to help workers, particularly those without a bachelor's degree, attain good jobs that pay livable wages and will unlock access to greater opportunities. The Alliance also works with employers to encourage more equitable hiring practices.
Hughes has been active in the workforce and talent development fields for 15 years. She has engaged with businesses, employers, colleges and universities, and state and federal agencies to define, translate and align workforce needs with education solutions to develop the workforce of the future. She has written numerous reports related to the workforce needs for the digital economy and worked with executives across many sectors including health care. Her work has led to development of over 50 new industry-recognized college credentials, as well as the go-to process and infrastructure for employers and education providers developing strategic partnerships.
Hughes co-led the Virginia governor's Smart and Connected Communities Working Group, is a board member of the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities Commission on Innovation, Competitiveness and Economic Prosperity, and co-chaired the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation's Project DARE - Data Analytics Raising Employment.
Prior to Markle, Hughes worked for Walmart.org as a grant officer and strategist. She served as an executive at the Business-Higher Education Forum, working with CEOs and university presidents to address pressing talent issues. She also led projects on behalf of federal agencies and numerous corporate and private philanthropies. She began her career at the U.S. Department of Energy in the Office of Science, Office of Workforce Development for Teachers and Scientists.
Hughes holds bachelor's and master's degrees from George Washington University, where she studied business, industrial organizational psychology, and international science and technology policy.
