Nicholas Wyman is a workforce development and skills expert, author, speaker, and CEO of the Institute for Workplace Skills and Innovation – a global enterprise, committed to skills and workforce development in today and tomorrow’s workplace.
Australian-born Nicholas began his own career by learning a trade. He was named Australian Apprentice of the Year in 1988 and went on to captain Australia’s gold medal-winning Culinary Youth Team. Today, he is a leader in developing skills-building, mentorship and apprenticeship programs that close the gap between education and careers around the world. He is a regular contributor to Forbes writing about job skills and training in the 21st-century workplace. He also writes features for Huffington Post and CNBC. He has an MBA and has studied at Harvard Business School and the Kennedy School of Government and was awarded a Churchill Fellowship in 2012.
Wyman speaks to HR departments, trade associations, think tanks, high schools and business groups about the importance of investing in skills. An engaging and animated speaker, Wyman shares front line stories that audiences can relate to and apply directly to their lives. He has recently keynoted the Edge Annual Lecture in the United Kingdom, spoken at the International Foundation Conference on Youth Philanthropy in Athens, Greece, the Global Lessons in Apprenticeships and Trans Atlantic Apprenticeship Summit in Washington, D.C., the Recharging the Youth Conference in New York, spoke to consortia of school districts in Plano, Texas, Keynoted the Halifax Chamber of Commerce Gala Dinner in Canada as well as spoke at the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans Conference in Las Vegas, Nevada.
His award-winning book, Job U, is a practical roadmap exploring the myriad of unconventional and affordable pathways to fulfilling and rewarding careers. Debunking the notion that a traditional college degree is the best or only path to wealth and success, his book is for anyone who wants to learn how to add value and be valued in tomorrow’s economy. He is on the board of the American Institute for Innovative Apprenticeship.
The world of work is changing fast. Wyman takes you on a journey to find out how to get savvy in the new world of work. After all, almost half of existing jobs across industries will disappear in the next decade thanks to automation and technology, says a recent Oxford University study. Think about that: almost every other person you pass on the street today will be affected. We’re talking about a ‘tsunami of technological change’ and it’s already happening in the US and beyond. Find out what skills people will they need? And how can they leverage them in the new world job marketplace.
“You will not be disappointed booking Nicholas Wyman. Nicholas worked with us to get a good understanding of our needs and our audience. His presentation was well done, honest and interesting. He was an excellent addition to a strong program, covering a topic of critical concern (training and recruiting) for our industry.”