Developing workforce in era of COVID-19

The unfolding workforce disruption caused by COVID-19 has necessitated a new focus on the challenges of workforce development — not only the traditional strategies of workforce development, but also the uncharted territory of workforce redevelopment and preservation.

When businesses open again, it will be necessary for workers to relearn their jobs to return to the level of proficiency and efficiency needed to move Ohio’s economy forward.

The technical topic of learning-curve analysis shows that performance improves with repeated cycles of operations. Whenever work performance is interrupted for a long time, as we are experiencing, the processes of natural forgetting or technical regressing set in. To offset this decline, direct concerted efforts must be made beyond anything we have experienced before. This urgency led to our call for new innovations in workforce development and redevelopment. We cannot be lackadaisical in leaving things to the normal process of regaining form, routine and function.

Typically, we erroneously focus on technical tools as the embodiment of innovation. But more often than not, process innovations might be just as vital. Workforce development, in particular, is more process development than tool development.

Some of the innovations we recommend: include paying attention to the hierarchy of needs of the worker (primarily safety in our current world); recognizing the benefits of diversity; elevating the visibility of equity; and instituting efforts to negate adverse aspects of cultural bias. While not too expensive to implement, these innovative strategies can be tremendously effective.

Workforce redevelopment is not often discussed, but COVID-19 brings its importance to the forefront. Redevelopment will be needed not only to boost the quantity of productive capacity, but also to restore and augment the capability, availability and reliability of the workforce beyond the previous yardstick.

The greatest challenge in a COVID-19 environment is workforce preservation. We do not think there will be a post-COVID-19 environment soon. Coronavirus is something we may have to contend with cyclically into the foreseeable future. How do we preserve the workforce in such a persistent pandemic environment?

Preservation of a well-developed workforce can be assured only through innovative health and safety safeguards, as well as new organizational processes and procedures that will take a thorough understanding of the recurring risks that may be posed by virus outbreaks. A workforce member who becomes ill, is laid off, or decides to leave an organization is a workforce member we fail to preserve. Typically, a society addresses safety and security as necessary social mandates; we need to elevate that perception to the level of workforce necessity.

A workforce that is well educated and well developed but stymied by the implications of a virus cannot be productive. Institutions of higher learning, such as the Air Force Institute of Technology, and state-level workforce development organizations, such as SOCHE, continue to partner in addressing new innovations in workforce development, redevelopment, and preservation. More widespread partnerships are needed in this effort that bodes well for Ohio’s economic health and vitality.

Adedeji Badiru is the Dean of the Graduate School of Engineering and Management at the Air Force Institute of Technology at WrightPatterson Air Force Base. Cassie Barlow is the President of The Southwestern Ohio Council for Higher Education.