During the Q&A session a question was asked, “With unemployment at 8.6% but the rate being higher in certain age demographics, as well as for veterans at 12.1%, what are companies and communities doing about reaching less technically-trained workers to make sure that they are not lost?”

Donna Ryan, the newly promoted president of CGI Federal, responded that it’s a company and community responsibility to reach out and provide training to professionals who need to enhance their skills to compete in our increasingly technology-driven world. CGI Federal has started a program to provide more training in rural locations to tap into knowledge areas where skilled labor is available, but may not be as highly technically trained. This benefits the community as well as CGI Federal, as they have a workforce that is in a lower cost area. CGI Federal has also built a training center near Fort Hood, TX, to provide additional training to returning veterans.

But professionals need to take some of the responsibility on themselves as well. Marianne Lucas, CMO of GCE Federal shared that she has signed up one of her children for a six-week online training course to learn C++ (a programming language) for $120. Marianne also recommended to colleagues who are out of work in professions such as civil engineering, to look at programs like Microsoft Program Management, which can complement their existing skills and provide an additional qualification to attract potential employers.

What have you done to keep your skills technologically sharp?

Check out this post from Patra Frame on Career Transitions Made Simple.