NIOSH Future of Work Webinar Series
NIOSH is pleased to launch a new webinar series on the future of work. With the participation of NIOSH researchers and external experts, this series aims to inform and engage audiences on fundamental future of work priority topics and sub-topics. We hope that you will join us as we explore subjects and critical questions vital for the safety, health, and well-being of tomorrow’s workforce.
Upcoming Webinars
Thursday, April 18th, 2024, 11:00 am – noon Eastern US Time
Registration Page/Link: https://cdc.zoomgov.com/webinar/register/WN_GZGoMCqPT0CSB_ZKLkAPZg
You are invited to join the ninth webinar in the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) series on the Future of Work, covering the priority topic area of Emerging Technologies. These technologies are myriad and cover the digital and physical spaces, and may bridge the gap between them. They include:
Additive and Smart Manufacturing, and 3D Printing • Advanced, Cloud, and Quantum Computing • Bio-Manufacturing • Bio-Technology • Clean and Green Technologies • Digitalization • Information and Communication Technologies • Internet-of-Things • Nanotechnology and Advanced Materials • Sensors • Sensor Surveillance • Smart Personal Protective Equipment
Technological change both a driver of and driven by other changes accompanying the future of work. It is also a source of occupational safety and health challenges and opportunity. Featured speakers will highlight select sub-topics and discuss safety, health, and well-being opportunities and challenges facing tomorrow’s workforce.
Moderator:
Dr. Scott Earnest
Scott Earnest is the Associate Director for Construction Safety and Health at NIOSH. Prior to joining the Office of Construction Safety and Health in 2015, Scott was Engineering Branch Chief in the NIOSH, Division of Applied Research and Technology for ten years. Scott has over 70 peer reviewed publications and technical reports. He began his career as an active duty, commissioned officer in the U.S. Army, Corps of Engineers. He is a registered Professional Engineer (PE) and Certified Safety Professional (CSP) with M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in industrial and mechanical engineering.
Speakers:
Dr. Gary Roth
Dr. Gary Roth is the coordinator for the Institute’s Future of Work Initiative, and a Senior Service Fellow in the Emerging Technologies Branch, part of the Division of Science Integration at NIOSH. His research interests are in emerging technologies broadly, and specifically a focus on nanotechnology, additive manufacturing, and artificial intelligence, and how these technologies are changing the nature of work and the experience of the future worker. Dr. Roth has been a participant in the institute’s Nanotechnology Research Center (NTRC), Center for Occupational Robotics Research (CORR), and Manufacturing Sector Program activities. Dr. Roth is a graduate of the University at Albany, where he obtained a doctoral degree in Nanoscale Science and Engineering and master’s degree in environmental health and toxicology.
Gavin West
Gavin West graduated from the University of Virginia and has a master’s degree in public health from George Washington University. He is the Director of Nanomaterials Research for CPWR – The Center for Construction Research and Training, where he has worked for more than a decade to prevent occupational injuries and illnesses in construction. Gavin is an author of two book chapters on construction hazards and over twenty peer-reviewed papers spanning the fields of respiratory physiology, occupational epidemiology, and industrial hygiene. He was the lead author of a study awarded Best Paper by the AIHA Nanotechnology Working Group in 2019 and a recipient of the Randy Ogle/Paul Baron Award in 2022. He believes in the importance of translating research to practice and works with CPWR colleagues and partners to accomplish this goal.
Past Webinars
The Role of Work Arrangements in the Future of Work
Thursday, October 19, 2023: 1:00-2:00pm ET
The eighth webinar in the NIOSH Future of Work Series focused on the role of work arrangements in the future of work. There are not universally accepted or standardized definitions of work arrangements, but there are many terms used to describe them:
Alternative ∙ App-based ∙ Contingent ∙ Contractual ∙ Direct hire ∙ Distributed ∙ Free-lancer ∙ Job sharing ∙ Non-standard ∙ On-call ∙ On-demand ∙ Part-time ∙ Platform ∙ Precarious ∙ Seasonal ∙ Single vs. multi-employers ∙ Temporary
It’s important to understand all factors influencing work arrangements in detail, and how these may change in the future. This webinar is appropriate for anyone interested in the topics listed.
Featured Moderator and Speakers:
Dr. Tapas K Ray
Tapas K Ray is an Economist at NIOSH and the Assistant Coordinator for the NIOSH Healthy Work Design and Well-being (HWD) program. In addition, he teaches graduate-level managerial and health economics courses at Miami University, Oxford. He is also an outcome research consultant at the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital.
Dr. Regina Pana-Cryan
Rene is Chief Economist and Director of the Economic Research and Support Office in the Office of the Director of the NIOSH. She also co-manages the NIOSH Healthy Work Design and Worker Well-being Cross-Sector Program.
Dr. Ed Yelin
Edward Yelin is the Edward A Dickson Emeritus Professor at UCSF and Principal Investigator of the California Labor Laboratory, a NIOSH Total Worker Health Center of Excellence.
The Role of Skills in the Future of Work
NIOSH Science Blog: https://blogs.cdc.gov/niosh-science-blog/2023/11/29/fow-skills/
The seventh webinar in the NIOSH Future of Work Webinar Series focused on the role of skills in the future of work. The webinar offered an overview of how vital developing and maintaining skills proficiency is to the innovation and competitiveness for the rapidly changing global economy. Workers must continually
- Upgrade their existing skills.
- Maintain their employability.
- Pursue career advancement.
- Respond to unexpected changes in demand for their current skillset.
- Gain in-demand skills to keep up with the new automation age.
Ensuring that occupational safety and health related skills are included in this vision is essential for today’s and tomorrow’s workers’ safety, health, and productivity. This webinar is appropriate for anyone interested in the topics listed.
Featured Moderator and Speakers:
Molly Leshner, MPH
Communicator role in the Future of Work Webinar Series, and Health Scientist/Health Communication Specialist in the Risk Evaluation Branch at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.
Lauren Menger-Ogle, PhD
Assistant Coordinator of the Safe∙Skilled∙Ready Workforce (SSRW) Program at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. Co-Coordinator of the NIOSH Services Sector Program, and Co-Chair of the National Occupational Research Agenda (NORA) Services Sector Council.
Brian Bisson
Assistant Director of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT).
The Role of Economic Security in the Future of Work
NIOSH Science Blog: https://blogs.cdc.gov/niosh-science-blog/2023/05/02/fow-economic-security
The sixth webinar in the NIOSH Future of Work Webinar Series focused on the role of economic security in the future of work. The webinar helped occupational safety and health (OSH) and allied professionals and practitioners understand how adequate wages, equitable and commensurate compensation and benefits, and minimum guaranteed hours are vital to determining worker health and well-being.
Featured Moderator and Speakers:
Dr. Regina Pana-Cryan
Chief Economist and Director of the Economic Research and Support Office, and Comanager of Healthy Work Design and Worker Well-being Cross-Sector Program at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.
Dr. Tapas K Ray
Economist and Assistant Coordinator for the NIOSH Healthy Work Design and Well-being (HWD) program at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.
Sarika Abbi, MPA
Associate Director for the Aspen Institute’s Financial Security Program.
The Role of Robotics in the Future of Work
NIOSH Science Blog: https://blogs.cdc.gov/niosh-science-blog/2022/06/03/robotics-fow/
The fifth webinar in the NIOSH Future of Work Webinar Series focused on robotics. The webinar offered an overview of robotics trends, implications for worker safety and health, and the NIOSH Center for Occupational Robotics Research. Findings were presented on ways to assess both human-robot interaction safety risks and exoskeleton performance in differing temperatures.
The featured moderator and speakers discussed select technological job displacement sub-topics and the safety, health, and well-being opportunities and challenges facing tomorrow’s workforce.
Featured Moderator and Speakers:
Scott Henn, MS, CIH
Industrial hygienist at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.
Dawn Castillo, MPH
Director of the Division of Safety Research and Manager for the Center for Occupational Robotics Research, the Center for Motor Vehicle Safety, and the Traumatic Injury Prevention Program at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.
Chukwuma (Chuma) Nnaji, MBA, PhD
Assistant Professor in the Department of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering at The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa.
The Role of Technological Job Displacement in the Future of Work
Webinar Recording
NIOSH Science Blog: https://blogs.cdc.gov/niosh-science-blog/2022/02/15/tjd-fow/
The fourth webinar in the NIOSH Future of Work Webinar Series focused on the role of technological job displacement in the future of work. The webinar helped occupational safety and health (OSH) and allied professionals and practitioners understand and address OSH implications of automation; digitalization; job quantity and quality; occupational polarization; productivity enhancement and quality improvement through automated manufacturing; and stable, new, and redundant work.
The featured moderator and speakers discussed select technological job displacement sub-topics and the safety, health, and well-being opportunities and challenges facing tomorrow’s workforce.
Featured Moderator and Speakers:
Chia-Chia Chang, MPH, MBA
Coordinator in the NIOSH Office for Total Worker Health® and Coordinator in the NIOSH Healthy Work Design and Well-Being Cross-Sector Program
Naomi Swanson, PhD, MA
Senior Science Advisor in the NIOSH Division of Science Integration and Co-Manager of the Healthy Work Design and Well-Being Cross-Sector Program
Shannon Meade, JD
Executive Director of Littler’s Workplace Policy Institute and Executive Director of the Emma Coalition
NIOSH Science Blog
Webinar Recording
The third webinar in the NIOSH Future of Work Webinar Series focused on the role of demographics in the future of work. Prioritizing growing worker diversity will help occupational safety and health and allied professionals and practitioners identify, examine, and reduce the inequitable distribution of workplace- and work-related risks and benefits due to demographic characteristics, ensuring the well-being of all workers.
The featured speakers discussed selected sub-topics and the safety, health, and well-being opportunities and challenges facing tomorrow’s workforce.
Featured Speakers:
Laura Syron, PhD, MPH
Assistant Program Coordinator for the Occupational Health Equity Program and the Center for Maritime Safety and Health Studies, at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
Marie-Anne Rosemberg, PhD, MN, RN, FAAOHN
Assistant Professor at the University of Michigan, School of Nursing in the Systems, Populations, and Leadership Department
Watch the Webinar Recording Here
The second webinar in the NIOSH Future of Work Webinar Series focused on the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in the future of work. Understanding how AI works can maximize occupational safety and health (OSH) advantages as well as minimize potential setbacks. Although the application of AI in the workplace is still emerging, OSH professionals, practitioners, researchers, employers, and workers can benefit from developing a greater understanding of workplace AI applications.
The featured speakers discussed selected sub-topics and the safety, health, and well-being opportunities and challenges facing tomorrow’s workforce.
Featured Speakers
Jay Vietas, PhD, MS, CIH, CSP
Chief of the Emerging Technologies Branch, in the Division of Science Integration, at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
Houshang Darabi, Ph.D.
Professor of Industrial Engineering and Professor of Computer Science at the University of Illinois at Chicago
Watch the Webinar Recording Here
During the first webinar in the new NIOSH Future of Work Webinar Series, this event focused on the role of organizational design, including the basic, foundational physical and functional infrastructures influencing where, when, and how work is conducted. The organization of work refers to psychosocial and physical aspects of the workplace that greatly impact worker safety and health issues, such as: autonomy, burnout and stress prevention, healthy leadership, job flexibility, leave policies, scheduling, social and corporate responsibility, built environment, workspace, and work-life fit.
The featured speakers discussed various organizational design sub-topics and safety, health, and well-being opportunities and challenges facing tomorrow’s workforce.
Featured Speakers
Jessica MK Streit, PhD, MS, CHES®
Research Psychologist and Deputy Director of the Office of Research Integration at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
Leslie B. Hammer, PhD
Professor at the Oregon Institute of Occupational Health Sciences, at Oregon Health & Science University
Co-Director of the Oregon Healthy Workforce Center