Agenda

Global Skills Week, Washington, D.C. | March 24-28, 2025. Connecting the Global Skills Economy.
Overview
Overview
Speakers
Speakers
Agenda
Agenda
Leadership Councils
Leadership Councils
Sponsors
Sponsors
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Future of Skills & Work Forum

The Future of Skills & Work Forum is the main program for Global Skills Week, bringing together leaders from around the world powering the global skills economy. Through focused discussions and workshops, participants will learn and collaborate on strategies to prepare learners for tomorrow’s careers. With a spotlight on critical skills like AI, cybersecurity, advanced manufacturing, and emerging technologies, the forum blends thought leadership, practical insights, and hands-on workshops to drive actionable results for a future for the skills economy.

The event is tailored for leaders across higher education, workforce development, and industry. It brings together university administrators, policymakers, economic development professionals, and industry experts to explore future skills and the evolving connection between education and the workforce.

Industry Skills Leadership Councils

March 25
Advanced Manufacturing
Industry Skills Leadership Council
Artificial Intelligence
Industry Skills Leadership Council
Digital Skills
Industry Skills Leadership Council
Health Skills
Industry Skills Leadership Council
6:00PM
Future of Skills and Work Forum
Opening Networking Reception

Future of Skills & Work Forum

March 26
8:00AM - 9:00AM
Registration, Coffee
& Networking
9:00AM - 10:30AM
Opening Plenary
Opening Panel
11:00AM - 12:30PM
Workshops & Presentations
12:30PM - 1:30PM
Networking Lunch
1:30PM - 3:00PM
Workshops & Presentations
3:30PM - 5:00PM
Workshops & Presentations
5:00PM
Networking Reception

Industry Skills Leadership Councils

March 26
8:00AM - 9:00AM
Registration, Coffee
& Networking
9:00AM - 10:00AM
Opening Plenary
Opening Panel
11:00AM - 12:30PM
Workshops & Presentations
12:30PM - 1:30PM
Networking Lunch
1:30PM - 3:00PM
Workshops & Presentations
3:30PM - 5:00PM
Workshops & Presentations
5:00PM
Networking Reception

Early Career Navigation Roundtable

March 27
8:00AM - 9:00AM
Registration, Coffee
& Networking
9:00AM - 10:00AM
Opening Plenary
Opening Panel
11:00AM - 12:30PM
Workshops & Presentations
12:30PM - 1:30PM
Networking Lunch
1:30PM - 3:00PM
Workshops & Presentations
3:30PM - 5:00PM
Workshops & Presentations
5:00PM
Networking Reception

Tuesday, March 25

Join the official opening networking reception. Industry Skills Leadership Councils will meet throughout the day and join forum attendees for the evening reception.

Mar 25, 2025 9:00 AM
Artificial Intelligence and Digital Skills Leadership Council
Invitation Only.
Mar 25, 2025 2:00 PM
Green Skills Leadership Council
Invitation Only.
Mar 25, 2025 6:00 PM
Official Opening Networking Reception
Connect with leaders from industry, colleges and universities, policy-makers, economic development and technology from around the world.

Wednesday, March 26

The forum agenda includes a high impact opening plenary packed with new and cutting-edge data and insights on the global skills economy. Join one of nine flagship 90-minute deep-dive workshops across the day led by AWS, OpenAI, QS, Western Governors University and nine 30-minute presentations and panels on the future of skills, skills assessment and workforce development.

Mar 26, 2025 8:00 AM
Networking Breakfast and Registration
Mar 26, 2025 9:00 AM
Opening Plenary. Connecting the Global Skills Economy
Kick off with HolonIQ's signature interactive and data-driven approach to the global skills landscape. This opening plenary from HolonIQ envisions the future of education and workforce development, highlighting the groundbreaking trends, transformative technologies, and innovative models reshaping global talent pipelines and unlocking new possibilities for equitable growth.
Maria Spies
Co-Founder at HolonIQ & Chief Innovation Officer at QS
Patrick Brothers
Co-Founder at HolonIQ & Executive Director at QS
Mar 26, 2025 9:45 AM
Opening Panel: The Future of Skills and Economic Opportunity—Breaking Barriers, Unlocking Growth
This high impact opening panel explores the U.S. skills economy, identifying key barriers, opportunities, and strategies to strengthen workforce resilience and economic mobility. With deep expertise in higher education, workforce and education policy, and philanthropic investment, our panelists will highlight key drivers for advancing skills-based pathways. Moderated by Maura Pally (Blackstone Charitable Foundation), this conversation brings together Maria Flynn (Jobs for the Future), Ted Mitchell (ACE), and Julie Lammers (ASA) to set the stage for the day’s deep dives and workshops, providing a strategic foundation for action.
Maura Pally
Executive Director at Blackstone Charitable Foundation
Ted Mitchell
President at the American Council on Education
Maria Flynn
President and CEO at Jobs for the Future
Julie Lammers
Executive Vice President at American Student Assistance
Mar 26, 2025 10:30 AM
Networking Break
Mar 26, 2025 11:00 AM
Workshop. AI-Powered Transformation: Insights from the Higher Education Digital Capability Framework
Explore AI’s transformative role in higher education through practical use cases, trends, and case studies from HolonIQ and AWS's global partnership. Learn strategies for deploying GenAI to enhance outcomes across the student lifecycle, leveraging insights from the Higher Education Digital Capability Framework to create value-driven institutional outcomes.
Maria Spies
Co-Founder at HolonIQ & Chief Innovation Officer at QS
Valerie Singer
General Manager, Global Education at Amazon Web Services
Mar 26, 2025 11:00 AM
Workshop. Career Readiness Reimagined: A Case Study in Leveraging AI for Student Agency
The widening gap between higher education and the modern job market demands a proactive, data-driven approach to student career readiness. Join 1Mentor and the University of Virginia as they provide a deep dive into UVA's CareerConnect initiative to demonstrate how institutions can use real-time data to empower students in identifying, developing, and articulating their skills, thereby better aligning academic experience and career aspirations. Powerful new data-driven tools for advisors, department chairs, and deans will also be highlighted. Participants will examine key challenges, explore actionable solutions, participate in a peer-led dialogue, and walk away with a concrete plan for their own institutions.
Kemi Jona
Vice Provost for Online Education and Digital Innovation at University of Virginia
Martín Serrano
Director of Product Innovation at 1Mentor by QS
Esteban Veintimilla
Director of Partnerships at 1Mentor by QS
Mar 26, 2025 11:00 AM
Workshop. From Degrees to Skills: How WGU Scales Skills-Based Education for Workforce-Ready Graduates
Institutions must evolve to align credentials with workforce needs as education shifts toward a skills-first model. Join Western Governors University (WGU), the nation’s largest university, for this interactive session that explores scalable strategies for integrating skills-based learning, driving institutional transformation, and strengthening career pathways. Engage in collaborative discussions and leave with actionable insights to future-proof learning and student success.
Sarah DeMark
Vice Provost, Workforce Intelligence & Credential Integrity at Western Governors University
Meg Hamel
Vice President, Education at HolonIQ
Mar 26, 2025 11:30 AM
Putting Skills to Work for the Workforce of Today and Tomorrow
Join nonprofit, corporate, and philanthropic leaders as they dive into the pivotal role of skills development in shaping the workforce of today and tomorrow. From emerging technologies to shifting job markets, this dynamic panel will explore how organizations can harness and elevate skills to meet both current demands and future challenges. Gain actionable strategies to drive workforce success and unlock the full potential of skills.
Mar 26, 2025 12:00 PM
Future of International Education & Global Talent Pipelines
As regions, nations, states and cities around the world compete for economic leadership in the 21st century, access to high-skilled talent has become a defining factor in global competitiveness. Explore the future of international education and how countries are leveraging global talent mobility to secure the workforce needed for STEM, healthcare, advanced manufacturing, and other critical industries. International education has played a pivotal role in turbocharging economic growth in the U.S. and other leading nations, driving innovation, research, and entrepreneurship. As the demand for high-skilled workers accelerates, countries must rethink policies on education, immigration, and workforce development to attract and retain top global talent.
Dominic Berardi
Vice President, Government Affairs at Shorelight
Mar 26, 2025 12:30 PM
Networking Lunch
Mar 26, 2025 1:30 PM
Workshop. Building Agile Pathways for Cyber and Data Skills
This workshop explores innovative strategies to address the tech skills gap, with a focus on cybersecurity and data analytics. Participants will gain insights into partnership models for certificate programs as curriculum-integrated or stand-alone courses, addressing cost, speed, and scalability challenges. Emphasizing flexible, stackable credentials, the session highlights the need for continuous learning, trusted credentials, and collaborative ecosystems to prepare students for evolving market demands.
Mar 26, 2025 1:30 PM
Workshop. Guiding Purposeful Career Journeys: Strategies for Student Success
This workshop highlights strategies for guiding students from middle school onwards, in career exploration and decision-making. Participants will learn how to integrate career navigation tools, foster self-discovery, and align education with workforce trends. Discussions will focus on building pathways for students to achieve meaningful, purpose-driven careers in a rapidly evolving job market.
Mar 26, 2025 1:30 PM
Workshop. Strategic AI Integration in HE: Leveraging the QS AI Competency Framework
Using the QS AI Competency Framework designed specifically for institutions of higher education, participants will undertake a self assessment of their institution's AI competencies across key dimensions including governance, teaching, learning & curriculum, and scholarship & research. The AI Competency Framework supports institutions to identify, map and measure the deployment and impact of artificial intelligence throughout the institution. This hands-on session will help participants to evaluate current performance, identify gaps and priorities and compare notes with colleagues from other institutions.
Maria Spies
Co-Founder at HolonIQ & Chief Innovation Officer at QS
Mar 26, 2025 2:00 PM
Talent as a Driver of Economic Development
Hear from workforce development leaders across US states about how economic development is changing, the critical role of talent as a business attraction asset, and how states are investing in the next generation of workers as a pathway to individual and collective economic mobility.
Mar 26, 2025 2:30 PM
Health Skills
Geoffrey Roche
Director, Workforce Development, North America at Siemens Healthineers
Mar 26, 2025 3:00 PM
Networking Break
Mar 26, 2025 3:30 PM
From Classrooms to Careers: OpenAI Education in Action
Join OpenAI for a hands-on 90-minute workshop designed for education leaders seeking to harness AI to redefine learning and workforce preparation. Explore how custom AI solutions are reshaping how college communities engage with knowledge, and gain insights from a university professor pioneering AI-driven transformation in business education. Leave the session with concrete strategies to drive AI adoption, enhance student outcomes, and position your institution for the future.
Keelan Schule
Solutions Engineer at OpenAI
Siya Raj Purohit
Education GTM at OpenAI
Angela Virtu
Professorial Lecturer, Information Technology and Analytics at American University
Mar 26, 2025 3:30 PM
Workshop. Integrating AI into University Curricula: Strategies for Future-Ready Education
Discover how to future-proof education by integrating AI into university curricula. This 90-minute workshop explores AI’s role in higher education, cross-disciplinary applications, and curriculum design strategies. Engage in interactive discussions, design sprints, and action planning to equip your institution with tools for fostering AI-ready graduates.
Patrick Brothers
Co-Founder at HolonIQ & Executive Director at QS
Mar 26, 2025 5:00 PM
Closing Networking Reception

Thursday, March 27

Join the official opening networking reception. Industry Skills Leadership Councils will meet throughout the day and join forum attendees for the evening reception.

Mar 25, 2025 9:00 AM
Early Career Navigation Roundtable by ASA and HolonIQ
Invitation Only.

Join Leaders from Industry and Higher Education

Networking, ideas, connections and partnership building with senior skills leaders from around the world in Washington, D.C, March 25-26, 2025

Register Now
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