In a special conference March 17, Georgia Tech brought together executive leadership from organizations with interests in developing or expanding a global workforce and introduced them to top university international internship programs. 

Funded by a grant from the U.S. Department of Education, Business and International Education Division, the conference was an outgrowth from recent major government studies that have recognized both the need for a global workforce that is competent in foreign languages and intercultural skills, as well as the serious deficiency of adequate training and educational preparation in these areas.  Sponsors of the program were the School of Modern Languages, Georgia Tech’s Division of Professional Practice, the Georgia Tech CIBER, and the Georgia Department of Economic Development.

Juan Luis Goujon, President & CEO of BPI Group, a global management and human resources consulting firm delivered the conference keynote address.  Sessions included presenations by business and academic experts from YKK, Infosys, The National Commission for Cooperative Education, MIT, The University of Rhode Island and Georgia Tech.  Corporate panels presented business strategies; university panels discussing what curricula best serve the needs of global competitiveness; and students shared their perspectives on the value and transformative nature of their work abroad experiences. 

Faced with increasing pressure from worldwide competition, businesses and organizations in the U.S. are searching for profitable opportunities that could include collaborations with international entities.  The conference participants suggested that these may be better facilitated with employees prepared to act as intercultural mediators.  The conference conveyed that an extremely effective way of developing a global workforce is through an international internship program and presented opportunities for attendees to connect with university international internship programs and to sponsor students for internships in countries not accustomed to the culture of paid student internships.

 To learn how to sponsor students who want to work in these countries see the Conference Sponsorship Opportunities and fill out the Sponsorship Form.

Find out more at www.modlangs.gatech.edu/globalworkforce/