10/15/24
Workforce Readiness: Are your employees ready to navigate the linguistic and cultural challenges of the 21st Century?
Wednesday, October 9th, 2024
12:00 PM - 1:00 PM EDT
Hybrid Event
In-person hosted by Troutman Pepper LLP
Two Logan Square,
On 18th St between Arch St and Cherry St,
30th floor, Philadelphia, PA 19103
Lunch will be provided for those
attending in person!
Please register in advance so that we may plan for you!
This panel will address the capacity of the Philadelphia region's workforce to meet the linguistic and cultural needs of employers. We will share data on the teaching of language and culture in the Philadelphia school district in the context of nationwide trends for both K-12 and higher education. We will learn more about the great resource of new immigrants to our region who are often highly educated, experienced, and multilingual. Finally, we will discuss the workforce landscape in terms of international economic development.
Panelists
Program Overview
Karen Cervera
International Professionals Program Manager at The Welcoming Center of Philadelphia
Karen Cervera is the Program Manager for the International Professionals Program (IPP) at The Welcoming Center, where she supports immigrant professionals who come to the USA with college degrees from their home countries and who are unemployed or underemployed to learn how to navigate the USA job search process and find meaningful full time employment in their respective fields of expertise.
Prior to joining The Welcoming Center, she co-founded and managed an organization called Let's Talk Philly! Conversation Circles, where she supported immigrants in building community wellness and overcoming social, professional, and personal integration challenges by building language and leadership skills.
She is a lifelong learner passionate about leadership, talent development, cross-cultural collaboration, and learning new languages.
Pierre-Olivier Lugez
As the Senior Director for International Business & Global Strategy, Pierre-Olivier leads initiatives to promote Philadelphia as a world-class business destination and hub, and is in charge of the City’s global strategy to grow its international business footprint and connections. Leveraging 10 years of experience in the private sector advising global companies for their commercial strategies, and with a focus on global business attraction, foreign direct investment, and promoting exports, his work creates jobs and strengthens the local economy. He plays the leading role in crafting the global strategy for Philadelphia and hosts delegations, diplomats, businesses, and investors from abroad, and represents the City of Philadelphia worldwide.
Senior Director
International Business & Global Strategy
Department of Commerce
City of Philadelphia
Stephanie Schechner
Ph.D. Professor of French &
Gender, Women, and Sexuality Studies
Chair, Modern Language Department Secretary, Women in French
Widener University
Stephanie believes that studying French should not be an end in itself, but rather a means to connecting with others around the world. Studying language, literature, and culture requires a willingness to grow as both student and instructor seek to understand people from other countries and from other times. The benefits for those who pursue these fields of study are multiple: the ability to communicate in more than one language, a greater understanding of oneself and one's own culture, an appreciation of other ways of thinking, the opportunity to read great literary works, the ability to reflect critically on literature and culture, among others.
At the same time, such study demands that the learner engage in self-examination in a way that is often uncomfortable. One is forced to wonder why one holds certain beliefs, why one speaks in a certain way, and why one's culture functions in the ways that it does. This questioning often leads to unforeseen discoveries for both learner and instructor alike. Students in Dr. Schechner's classes can expect to increase their fluency in French and to develop a range of skills that will serve them well no matter what career they choose to pursue.