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Chancellor Li: How do you Prepare for Careers That Don’t Exist Yet?

We exist today in perfect storm of automation, emerging technologies, and economic conditions where individuals who are not actively expanding their skills risk being on the outside looking in at career advancement opportunities now and in the future. Chancellor Joanne Li, Ph.D., CFA, says that future is closer than we think in this recent editorial.

  • published: 2022/10/16
  • contact: Brandon Bartling - Office of Strategic Marketing and Communications
  • email: unonews@unomaha.edu
Joanne Li, Ph.D., CFA, Chancellor of the University of Nebraska at Omaha

Joanne Li, Ph.D., CFA, Chancellor of the University of Nebraska at Omaha

In a rapidly-changing world, the world's workforce needs to be ready to change with it. This is why, according to a new op-ed piece by Joanne Li, Ph.D., CFA, Chancellor of the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO), higher education institutions must prepare to train our workforce for the jobs of the future.

In 2020, the World Economic Forum shared report that by 2025 half of all employees across the world will need some form of re-skilling to meet the 97 million new careers that may emerge in that timeframe.

The article notes the important work being done under the new Division of Strategic and Learning-Centric Initiatives when it comes to re-skilling and up-sklling workers. Additionally, Chancellor Li speaks to UNO's long history as a place where learners of all backgrounds can access continuing education.

“As lifelong learners, we must always look to identify a problem that needs to be solved and develop the skills needed to address it," Li writes. "Whether you are passionate about public health, the environment, cybersecurity, national security, data analytics, or performing art, there is an academic program out there for you.”

The full article by Chancellor Li can be read on the Omaha World-Herald’s website.

About the University of Nebraska at Omaha

The University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) is Nebraska’s premier metropolitan university, committed to innovating for the public good, advancing social mobility, powering workforce development, and serving as a hub for community engagement. Nearly 15,000 Mavericks choose UNO for its hands-on education experiences, nationally ranked online and graduate programs, military-connected student support, and innovative approaches to supporting lifelong learning. UNO holds the Carnegie Research Activity “R2” designation, securing more than $40 million annually in external research funding and counts its faculty among the world’s most cited scholars. Sixteen Omaha Athletics programs compete in NCAA Division I as members of the Summit League and National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC). 

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