When it comes to the future of talent, America’s prospects are in serious, if not critical, condition. There are currently more than 7.3 million unfilled jobs in the United States, in large part because we don’t have enough American workers with the skills or training to fill them. Our nation’s most valuable resource—our workforce—is ill-served by our current system of education and training for the in-demand jobs of the future.
The skills gap is a worldwide problem, and here in the U.S. it deeply impacts the economy and our prospects for global competition. The situation will only get worse as technology gives rise to new jobs that require skills that don’t even exist yet.
That is why I am so pleased and honored to be appointed to the U.S. Department of Commerce’s American Workforce Policy Advisory Board, along with other business leaders across the private, not-for-profit and public sectors.
Our job is to advise on and recommend ways the private sector and educational institutions can work together to combat the skills crisis by investing in and increasing demand-driven education, training, and re-training, including through apprenticeships and work-based learning opportunities.
This is a great opportunity to elevate SHRM as the voice of all things work. We will lead the conversation on creating better workplaces through sensible policies and a national strategy that will ensure America has a robust, highly skilled workforce prepared to compete globally for the emerging jobs of the future.
SHRM’s invitation to participate in this Advisory Board is a testament to the importance of the HR profession and what we can achieve for the good of our country and our society. HR is leading the way in shaping a bright future for work, workers and workplaces across the country.
Johnny C. Taylor, Jr., SHRM-SCP, is President and Chief Executive Officer of SHRM, the Society for Human Resource Management. With over 300,000 members in 165 countries, SHRM is the largest HR professional association in the world, impacting the lives of 115 million workers every day.
As a global leader on the future of employment, culture and leadership, Mr. Taylor is a sought-after voice on all matters affecting work, workers and the workplace. He is frequently asked to testify before Congress on critical workforce issues and authors the weekly USA Today column, "Ask HR."
Mr. Taylor's career spans over 20 years as a lawyer, human resources executive and CEO in both the not-for-profit and for-profit space. He has held senior and chief executive roles at IAC/Interactive Corp, Viacom's Paramount Pictures and Blockbuster Entertainment Group, McGuireWoods LLC, and Compass Group USA. Most recently, Mr. Taylor was President and Chief Executive Officer of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund.
He is a member of the White House American Workforce Policy Advisory Board and chairs the President's Advisory Board on Historically Black Colleges and Universities. He serves on the boards of the University of Miami, Jobs for America's Graduates, the American Red Cross and Guild Education.
In 2020, Mr. Taylor was named one of Savoy magazine’s “Most Influential Black Executives in Corporate America” and later that year received the Distinguished Executive of the Year Award from the Academy of Management.
He is licensed to practice law in Florida, Illinois and Washington, D.C., and is a Fellow of the National Academy of Human Resources.
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