Making Skills the Currency of Opportunity with Haley Glover

Haley Glover, Senior Director of UpSkill America at the Aspen Institute, is on a mission to build a world where skills—not degrees or pedigrees—are the primary currency of career opportunity.

In this expansive conversation, she challenges organizations to think bigger, arguing that investing in frontline workers isn't just a corporate responsibility but a societal imperative that strengthens communities and economies alike.

Glover shares her vision for a future where "all learning counts," and individuals own their skills data, freeing it from the silos of employers and academic institutions.

Listen in for a dose of realistic optimism on one of the most complex—and human—challenges in the world of work today.

You will want to hear this episode if you are interested in...

• [00:00] Intro.
• [03:34] Why skills are a societal issue, not just a corporate one.
• [13:31] Building a realistic ROI case for skills investments.
• [19:32] The "All Learning Counts" vision for skills recognition.
• [24:01] Why the next decade of skills innovation will be "messy."
• [27:56] The cultural blockades preventing a skills-first hiring revolution.
• [36:11] The evolving role and responsibility of the employer.
• [42:25] A real-world example of a company getting it right.

Resources & People Mentioned

• UpSkill America at the Aspen Institute
• James By Percival Everett
• The Brothers K by David James Duncan

Connect with Haley Glover

• Haley Glover on LinkedIn 

Connect With Red Thread Research

• Website: Red Thread Research
• On LinkedIn
• On Facebook
• On Twitter

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