There’s no denying the importance of technology in the 21st century. Call it the fourth industrial revolution; perhaps just call it extraordinarily disruptive. Whatever the case, workforce training is high on the agenda for the modern CEO.
Mike Gregoire, CEO of software company CA Technologies, says companies must join forces to solve the skills gap created by a rapidly changing technological landscape. “If we work at it alone, none of us will be successful,” he says. “Everyone’s fighting over a scarce resource, a small part of the pie—we must expand the pie.”
A shortage of skilled tech talent won’t solve itself, and companies can’t wait for government to act. “Here’s a strange thing to understand and accept: government moves slower than business, and it’s designed to be that way,” says Gregoire, adding that companies have the unique ability to fail fast or learn fast.
One thing that’s for certain: There is no time to waste when it comes to workforce training, especially in high-growth industries like technology. As for policy development, tech companies can use the speed of business and enlighten government officials, Gregoire says: “CEOs have a platform and can bring something unique to the argument that is data-driven and enables problem solving.”
Watch the video above for more from Fortune’s interview with Gregoire.
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