Originally posted to NEDAS

The technology community is no stranger to evolving and expanding demands or the talent challenges that are often affiliated with its fast-paced growth trajectory. With the advent of 5G just around the corner, the number of connected devices reaching staggering numbers and emerging technologies stretching the capabilities and resources of businesses across the industry, hiring and talent demands are likely to only increase. Especially as the workforce itself begins to take on a new form, with millenials comprising more than half of the talent pool by 2020, many businesses are unsure about how to ensure they are building and keeping the capable teams they need to support their service and product delivery into the future. 

The 2019 NEDAS NYC Summit, an event focusing on education, collaboration and problem solving at the intersection of wireline and wireless, explored this topic further in a panel session titled The Drive to 5G: Workforce Challenges and Opportunities. The presentation was moderated by Carrie Charles, CEO of Broadstaff Global, and featured panelists Steve Yapsuga, Co-Chair of the Advisory Council for NEDAS and COMBA Telecom; Nikki Greenberg, Founder of Women in PropTech and Kent Wessinger, Founder of Create2Elevate. 

Creating a solution begins by identifying roadblocks, and as the panelists noted, the main talent challenges the industry is seeing today involve things like potential workforce members not knowing how to break into the industry, a lack of mentorship and a lack of truly specialized talent. Greenberg notes that the millennials’ access to a vast array of information could be leading to individuals not wanting to specialize. However, Wessinger, delving into his research of the comparative experience of millennials and other age groups, notes that a narrow view of any demographic can lead to the millennial workforce being misunderstood and therefore underutilized by those who are in leadership positions now. He suggests that developing a strategy for long-term workforce success may come from seeking common ground and developing a realistic plan of action. 

To read the full article please click here.