Author: sHq_LoGiNz

Originally published by Forbes

By Lynette Bell, COUNCIL POST | Membership (fee-based). 
Lynette Bell is Head of Truist Philanthropy and President of Truist Foundation. 

Workforce development is finally getting the attention it deserves. But one group is often still left out of the conversation: the workers we already have.

Mid- to late-career adults—individuals in their 40s, 50s and beyond, often with decades of experience—are navigating career transitions, layoffs, automation and shifting industry demands, often without a roadmap. They make up over 40% of the U.S. workforce yet are significantly less likely to be targeted by reskilling programs or digital training initiatives, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, and 70% of workers today say they feel unprepared for the future of work.

This is a missed opportunity.

Experience No Longer Guarantees Stability

The assumption that experience equals job stability or security no longer holds. Entire industries are being reshaped by artificial intelligence and digital transformation. The World Economic Forum estimates that 60% of workers globally will need significant upskilling by 2030. But most of the investment and innovation in workforce development still targets younger workers or high-tech talent pipelines, leaving mid-career professionals without a clear path forward.

At Truist Foundation, a purpose-driven financial services company, I’ve seen firsthand how these challenges disproportionately affect mid-career workers, especially those without college degrees or digital access. The result? A growing population of capable, motivated individuals who are underemployed or stuck in roles that don’t reflect their potential.

In collaboration with MIT Solve, our third Inspire Awards challenge earlier this year focused on workforce development, with a particular emphasis on adult learners and career changers. Our six nonprofit finalists are tackling the issue head-on, providing innovative solutions such as:

• Connecting learners to social services to overcome non-academic barriers,

• Equipping veterans to enter the high-demand electrical trade industry,

• Offering call-center training for older adults,

• Reskilling returning citizens for trucking careers,

• Training workers in sustainable material reuse and

• Helping tradespeople become career and technical education teachers.

These organizations aren’t just building tools; they’re building trust. And they’re proving that technology, when used responsibly, is not a threat but a complement. Recent research from MIT Sloan shows that AI is far more likely to augment human work than replace it, especially in roles that rely on empathy, judgment and creativity. In workforce development, that means using AI to personalize learning, streamline access to services and match workers with opportunities, not to automate away their value.

So, what’s next? For business and philanthropy, this moment calls for more than incremental change. It demands a reset in how we think about talent, technology and economic mobility. Four priorities stand out to me:

1. Address the barriers that make learning inaccessible. Skills gaps aren’t the only challenge. Workers can’t train if they can’t get online, secure childcare or afford time away from their jobs. Pair investments with wraparound support, in partnership across corporate social impact teams and local nonprofits.

2. Design solutions with workers, not around them. The best innovations begin with listening. Mid-career employees know where the friction points are. Bring their voices into program design to ensure solutions are practical and grounded in lived experience.

3. Measure what really matters. Training completion rates don’t tell the full story. Track long-term career mobility: wage gains, job quality, stability and whether workers feel a greater sense of agency in their careers. These give a more honest picture of impact and help employers and funders invest where it counts.

4. Champion a culture of lifelong learning. When leaders model curiosity and normalize skill-building as part of the workday, they send a powerful message: Growth is continuous, and everyone belongs in the future of work.

What Philanthropy Must Do Differently

Philanthropy has long funded workforce development, but too often in silos. If we want to meet this moment, we need to shift from funding isolated programs to investing in ecosystems—networks that connect employers, educators, community organizations and tech innovators.

As funders, we have a responsibility—and a privilege—to help shape the future of work so it works for everyone. That means asking tough questions, supporting innovators and investing in solutions that reflect the realities of the people we serve. It also means being willing to learn and adapt. I also think it’s important to advocate for co-designed solutions—programs built with, not just for, the people they serve. Because if we’re not building with workers, we’re building for no one.

The Future Of Work

The future of work isn’t just about preparing the next generation. It’s about reinvesting in the generation that’s already here. If we want a workforce that’s resilient, inclusive and ready for what’s next, we need to stop designing for idealized talent pipelines and start building for real people, in real time.

The mid-career moment is here. Let’s meet it with bold ideas, inclusive innovation and the urgency it deserves.

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Find Lynette Bell on LinkedIn. Visit Lynette’s website.
 

By Marin Cogan, Illustration by Mia Angoiy

Abigail Akyea knew she wanted to give back to her community from a young age. As a first generation Ghanaian-American who grew up in low-income housing, she saw how her family and neighborhood were sometimes neglected or overlooked. The now 21-year-old, who goes by Abby, says, “I wanted to be at the good end of things, making a positive impact for people who grew up like me.”

Abby began finding new and creative ways to use technology as an Information Systems major at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Virginia. She describes her passion as being at “the intersections of technology, business, and social impact.”

Working as a researcher at her school’s Office of Community Engagement, Abby decided to focus on Richmond’s lowest income communities, doing a deep dive into their demographics: the age, race, education and income levels of residents of those neighborhoods. “I analyzed the communities and their needs and I tried to pair them up with VCU’s microcredential program,” Abby says.

Microcredentials are mini-courses that can provide ongoing training and skill development and are available to both students and residents without the high costs of a full college education. Abby and her colleagues put together a list of the microcredentials that could be most beneficial for residents, and shared with the community members to get their feedback. Growing up, she says that spirit of collaborative cooperation – of listening to community members and actually hearing what they felt they needed – was rare.

“I felt like I had no voice in matters that related to my life. In some cases that could come off as inhumane. No one came to my family and me to say, ‘How do you feel about this?’” she says. “It was nice, years later, to feel like I’m correcting that mistake.”

The tech Abby received as a prize for being a finalist in the Boys and Girls Clubs of America’s Annual Youth of the Year contest, a Lenovo ThinkPad laptop, was essential to completing the project. It’s become a crucial tool, she says, as she develops her skills in cloud computing and data analysis coding at school.

Abby is just one member of a generation growing up in a rapidly changing world – and determined to make a difference on her own terms. While young voters have shown themselves to be a powerful if unpredictable demographic in recent elections, that doesn’t mean they’re tuning out: they just are finding new methods of civic engagement. Young people around the world might favor giving directly to a community mutual aid group, or to a fundraising campaign led by their favorite content creators. They might also use social media to push for corporate responsibility and sustainability, or use AI tools to research and organize an in-person event. In many ways, it’s about using technology as a tool to facilitate human connection. This is a generation using their unique perspectives – along with their creativity and tech savvy talents – to build a better world.

When technology is designed with empathy, it can help spark positive change in the most human ways and with the people all around them.

– Chris Cui, Global Responsible Tech Senior Lead, Lenovo’s Intelligent Devices Group

Not waiting to change the world

“Gen Z stands out because of who they are and how they engage,” says Samantha Seales, a communications coordinator at Tufts University’s Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement (CIRCLE). For this generation, technology is the primary infrastructure through which action then happens in the real world. They have grown up in an interconnected space with tech as a natural extension of how they interact with the world, and a key part of how they plan to change it.

In a New Realities: Empathy and Technology Report by Lenovo in 2020, 73 percent of respondents said they believed technological advancements had a positive impact on the ability of young people to engage in major societal issues. Seventy-six percent of Gen Z respondents said technology had made them more empathetic both to their communities and to people whose lives are different from their own.

These sentiments align with the reasons why Lenovo is actively partnering with communities, nonprofits and research organizations. “The goal is technology that helps people do more good in the world around them,” says Cui.

Isaac Edwards, a 17-year-old student at Uplift Heights Secondary, a charter school in West Dallas, Texas, and an aspiring photographer knows why he’s different from older generations. “AI is where we have an advantage in my generation because we’re growing up with this,” he says.

Even though he’s a teenager, Edwards has already served in multiple leadership roles, as a student body president at his school and as a youth leader in his church community. He’s already experimenting with creative ways to use AI both as a tool for brainstorming ideas in the classroom, and thanks to programs like Tackling STEM, a joint annual event hosted by Lenovo, the Dallas Cowboys, and The Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Dallas. This summer, he and other students learned about how the team uses AI-powered tech to track player speed – and then tried the tool out for themselves.

AI is where we have an advantage in my generation because we’re growing up with this.

– Isaac Edwards, student and an aspiring photographer

New tech tools, new approaches

To Edwards, technology, creativity, and change-making aren’t separate, siloed categories. They can be combined and remixed in creative ways, to solve problems and imagine a better future.

The tools available to Gen Z are crucial to shaping their work. “It might start with capturing an idea in the moment, then turn it into something like music or content using whatever tools fit their flow, across phones, tablets and laptops, including devices like the Motorola Razr Ultra and Lenovo Yoga AI laptop,” says Cui. “Regardless of the device, what matters most is how seamlessly everything works together to match their creative flows.” The work can happen on an individual scale, but increasingly, it’s leading to larger efforts for change – and reshaping cultural and educational institutions in the process.

In Brazil, for example, the Instituto Escola Criativas, or the Creative Schools Institute, is working with schools and teachers to re-imagine learning environments that place student-led creativity, experimentation, and innovation at the center of the learning process.

“Many Gen Z students feel that what they learn in the classroom has little to do with their lives or with the world around them. At the same time, they are deeply aware of social, environmental, and community issues, and they are much more vocal about these concerns than previous generations,” says Ana Beatriz Bretos, 29, director of Strategy and Institutional Development at the Institute. “We encourage projects where students learn curricular content while working on real problems in their communities, researching, prototyping solutions, collaborating with peers, and presenting their ideas.” As a part of their efforts, the Institute is partnering with Lenovo on a project with educators to explore how AI can be useful as a planning and creative tool.

Bretos says technology can be a powerful facilitator. “What we see in schools is that when students are invited to use technology as a tool to investigate real issues, tell their own stories, and co-create solutions, it becomes a powerful lever for engagement and learning,” she says.

Using digital tools to connect and express themselves, she notes, is something that Gen Z already does well. Isaac, for example, hopes to someday become an intellectual property lawyer and find a way to give back to young people in his community and promote mental health. For Abby, it means building a corporate career that uses her skills in cloud computing and other areas, while also continuing to lift up the community where she came from – and the world beyond. It also means staying open to new technology that can help her make the world a better place.

This kind of experimentation is how Abby and other young people will continue to expand the boundaries of what is possible. “Technology pushes me outside of my comfort zone to learn something new,” Abby says, “It helps me really think beyond borders and to be creative too.”

Microchips power almost everything in modern life, from smartphones and laptops to electric vehicles, medical devices, data centers, and defense systems. Behind every one of those chips is a complex manufacturing process that depends on materials most people never see. One critical group is fluoropolymers—high‑performance plastics known for their purity, durability, and resistance to harsh chemicals.

Chemours is one of the leading suppliers of these materials. Its well‑known brands, including Teflon™ fluoropolymers, Viton™ fluoroelastomers, and Krytox™ high-performance lubricants, play essential roles in helping chip manufacturers keep their processes clean, reliable, and efficient.

Semiconductor manufacturing requires absolute cleanliness. Even a single particle or unexpected chemical reaction can ruin a wafer containing hundreds of chips. From preserving the highest levels of system purity to protecting critical process tools, fluoropolymers enable the production of high‑quality, highly reliable semiconductor devices.

Teflon™ fluoropolymers—especially high‑purity Teflon™ PFA—are critical to chip manufacturers to prevent contamination, corrosion, and leaching in fluid-handling systems that transport critical process fluids through the fab. Teflon™ fluoropolymers are chemically inert, reducing the risk of contamination and on-wafer defects. Their resistance to extreme conditions also enables an exceptionally long service life in harsh environments, ensuring a safe working environment, increased fab reliability, and high-yield semiconductor manufacturing.

Beyond chemical handling, Chemours materials help keep fabrication equipment running smoothly. Viton™ fluoroelastomers create durable seals that prevent corrosive fumes and harsh chemicals from escaping during processing. These seals withstand long‑term exposure without cracking or degrading, reducing downtime and costly, energy‑intensive maintenance. Krytox™ lubricants support vacuum pumps and robotic wafer‑handling systems, performing reliably under extreme temperatures and pressures while minimizing waste, safety risks, and service needs.

As countries work to strengthen domestic chip production, materials like fluoropolymers become even more vital. Few alternatives offer the same combination of purity, strength, and chemical resistance. Industry experts note that without fluoropolymers, many steps in chip manufacturing simply could not occur—making them as essential as the cleanrooms and advanced tools that define the semiconductor industry.

As technologies from artificial intelligence to advanced memory chips progress at unprecedented speed, they demand increasingly precise manufacturing and ever‑higher purity standards. Fluoropolymers enable manufacturers to meet these requirements, supporting the next generation of semiconductor innovation.

Although fluoropolymers often operate behind the scenes, their impact is significant. They keep chemicals flowing safely, protect sensitive equipment, and enable the precision required for the technologies that power modern life. Their durability helps extend equipment life, reduce waste, and improve manufacturing efficiency. Through responsible production practices and a commitment to environmental stewardship, Chemours ensures that these essential materials continue to support safe, sustainable, and high‑performance semiconductor manufacturing around the world.

Originally published by Mastercard

March 12, 2026 /3BL/ – Ericsson and Mastercard announced a collaboration to reshape how money moves across the world. By integrating the Ericsson Fintech Platform (Mobile Financial Services) with Mastercard Move, Mastercard’s portfolio of money movement solutions, the collaboration will empower telecom service providers, banks and fintechs to expand digital wallet capabilities, launch new payment services and reach unbanked or underbanked communities.

Ericsson’s pre-integrated application programming interfaces (APIs), cloud-native deployment and compliance-ready infrastructure simplifies fintech connectivity to Mastercard Move.

These capabilities reduce technology complexity, lower operational barriers by simplifying integration, deployment and compliance, and accelerate time to market for new payment services — all aimed at catalyzing innovation and growth in the sector.

The Ericsson-Mastercard collaboration transforms how financial services are built, delivered and scaled. It creates new revenue streams and strengthens digital ecosystems across emerging and developed markets.

Financial inclusion and accessibility are key focuses of the collaboration. Mastercard Move enables money movement across more than 200 countries and territories, connecting more than 17 billion endpoints, and supporting transactions in 150 currencies.

Ericsson’s fintech platform operates in 22 countries, serving more than 120 million active users and processing more than 4 billion transactions every month across digital wallets, payments, remittances, lending and loyalty services — all backed by enterprise-grade security.

Mastercard Move’s integration into Ericsson’s Fintech Platform aims to accelerate the adoption of digital payments and expand participation in the digital economy.

The global rollout will begin in the Middle East and Africa, where demand for mobile money, remittances and interoperable payment services is particularly strong.

“Mastercard Move empowers payment service providers to shape the future of money movement — delivering fast, secure and transparent transfers for individuals and businesses worldwide,” says Pratik Khowala, global head of Transfer Solutions, Mastercard. “By integrating with Ericsson’s fintech platform, we’re opening new pathways for telecom operators, financial institutions and fintechs to scale innovative payment services, reach underserved communities and unlock fresh revenue streams. This collaboration not only meets the rising demand for digital cross-border payments, but also accelerates progress toward a more connected, inclusive and dynamic global digital economy.”

“Joining forces with Mastercard marks a bold step toward the future of money movement,” says Pavan Bachwal, head of Mobile Financial Services, Ericsson. “Combining Ericsson’s trusted, scalable platform with Mastercard Move enables our customers to launch secure and efficient payment solutions faster than we ever have before. Together, we are driving financial inclusion, accelerating innovation, and creating new growth opportunities across the globe.”

Media contact

Giang Nguyen, Mastercard
Giang.Nguyen@mastercard.com

About Mastercard

Mastercard powers economies and empowers people in 200+ countries and territories worldwide. Together with our customers, we’re building a resilient economy where everyone can prosper. We support a wide range of digital payments choices, making transactions secure, simple, smart and accessible. Our technology and innovation, partnerships and networks combine to deliver a unique set of products and services that help people, businesses and governments realize their greatest potential.

www.mastercard.com

 

About Ericsson

Ericsson’s high-performing, programmable networks provide connectivity for billions of people every day. For 150 years, we’ve been pioneers in creating technology for communication. We offer mobile communication and connectivity solutions for service providers and enterprises. Together with our customers and partners, we make the digital world of tomorrow a reality. www.ericsson.com

MORE INFORMATION AT:
Ericsson Newsroom
media.relations@ericsson.com (+46 10 719 69 92)
investor.relations@ericsson.com (+46 10 719 00 00)

Continue reading here.

Follow along Mastercard’s journey to connect and power an inclusive, digital economy that benefits everyone, everywhere.

DP World is expanding opportunities for women across its port and logistics operations in Brazil. The company’s terminal at the Port of Santos has seen female representation increase by approximately 228% since 2013, rising from 95 employees to 312 today, including 36 women in leadership roles.

More than half of the female workforce now holds operational positions, with over 100 women operating heavy port equipment — roles historically dominated by men. The terminal appointed its first female quay crane operator in 2021 and first female wharf operator in 2022, marking key milestones for women in port operations. In 2025 alone, more than 110 hours of specialized training were dedicated to preparing women for technical roles at the terminal.

Fabio Siccherino, CEO of DP World in Brazil, said: “At DP World, building a diverse workforce isn’t just the right thing to do — it strengthens our business. By expanding opportunities for women across operational, technical, and leadership roles, we are bringing new perspectives into our terminals and logistics operations, helping drive innovation, improve performance, and support the continued growth of global trade.”

Expanding Women’s Participation Across Logistics

The company’s gender equity efforts extend beyond port operations into its broader logistics network.

Across four contract logistics facilities in the state of São Paulo, women represent 42% of the workforce, with 11 holding leadership positions. Women account for 46% of employees across DP World’s six freight forwarding offices in Brazil. 

Career development programs such as MentorHer, DP World’s global mentorship initiative, connect experienced leaders with high-potential female employees, strengthening leadership capabilities, and expanding growth opportunities across the organization.

Training Programs Opening New Career Pathways

This March, DP World is supporting two initiatives in Brazil designed to help women enter the port workforce:

Emprega Mulher

• In partnership with the City of Santos, the Emprega Mulher program offers a 12-hour container inspection training course – ending in official certification – at Casa da Mulher de Santos, delivered by the Ceconport training center.
• Participants will also visit DP World’s Santos terminal as part of the program, with the first group of 20 participants beginning training on March 24. 

Elas na Direção

• DP World has also launched Elas na Direção, a dedicated training program designed to prepare women to operate Internal Terminal Vehicles (ITVs) used in container handling.
• The program will select eight participants for a 40-hour training course combining technical instruction, simulator-based learning, and hands-on operational training led by DP World instructors. 

Women Leading Across the Business

Across DP World’s Brazil operations, women are advancing into leadership, operational, and technical roles — demonstrating how training, mentorship, and career development are expanding opportunities across the logistics and port sectors.

• Strengthening freight forwarding strategy: Alexandra dos Santos Oliveira joined DP World in 2025 to lead the Pricing team of the company’s freight forwarding expansion in Brazil, bringing nearly 25 years of experience in logistics, air, and ocean operations.
• Leading infrastructure and maintenance operations: Rosivane Soares Cândido Meneguini serves as maintenance coordinator in DP World Brazil’s Ports & Terminals division, bringing experience from major infrastructure projects including the renovation of Maracanã Stadium and Grêmio Arena.
• Advancing through internal career development: Débora Silva joined DP World’s Contract Logistics division in 2017 as an operator and progressed to operational assistant through continuous training and professional development.
• Pioneering environmental stewardship: Biologist Ana Paula Schettino was the first woman to work at the Santos terminal and has led environmental management and conservation initiatives there for more than two decades.
• Breaking barriers in frontline port operations: Roberta Costa joined DP World in 2019 as a truck operator and progressed to become a rubber-tyred gantry (RTG) crane operator and certified instructor through the company’s Advanced Training for Instructors and Assessors Program.
• Setting a milestone in port operations: Fabiana do Nascimento Almeida is the first and only female quay crane operator at both DP World’s Santos terminal and the Port of Santos overall.

Building a More Inclusive Future for Logistics

By investing in workforce training, mentorship, and career development, DP World is helping build a more inclusive logistics sector while strengthening the industry’s future talent pipeline.

As global trade continues to evolve, the company’s focus on diversity and opportunity is helping ensure the next generation of logistics professionals reflects the communities and economies it serves.

Learn more about DP World’s commitment to gender equity.