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✅ Inside this issue:

• Why DEI will always be important

• The webinar you’ll want to catch later today

• What to read, watch, and listen to before month’s end

INTERESTING READS

📘 SmartResume just released a new LER ecosystem report packed with insights on credentials, infrastructure, and adoption trends.

🎓 Diplomas, degrees, and digital wallets are colliding as the credentialing landscape gets a rethink.

🤝 See which 2 powerhouse organizations just teamed up to launch AI-powered learning solutions aimed at closing the global skills gap.

🧑‍💼 Fractional leadership is on the rise as orgs rethink the traditional 9-to-5.

LEADERSHIP

Why DEI won't ever go out of style

Oh dear, I said what I said.

Listen, if this article offends you, I’m sorry. But not really.

Over the past few years, DEI somehow became the cool kid and the ugly stepchild in record time. One minute, it was everywhere. The next, it was politicized, controversial, and treated like something organizations should quietly distance themselves from.

Yikes.

Here’s something I need to say plainly: if you work with people, you work with DEI.

If you’re a woman reading this, you are part of DEI. Last time I checked, the world literally cannot reproduce without women giving birth. So by default, we, women, aren’t going anywhere.

And neither is the need for diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Here's what hasn't changed: America is statistically diverse and becoming more so. You can dislike the acronym. You can disagree with how DEI has been implemented in certain organizations. But there will always be a need to fight for people who have less access, less power, or fewer seats at the table.

History makes that part very clear.

The work doesn't disappear because the conversation gets uncomfortable

There's a quote often attributed to Thomas Jefferson: "The measure of society is how it treats the weakest members."

And that idea shows up in real outcomes.

When the poorest and most vulnerable people in society are supported through strong social safety nets, the benefits extend far beyond those individuals. Prioritizing this reduces strain on healthcare systems, schools, housing markets, and local economies. Societies that invest here consistently see better long-term outcomes, including higher graduation rates, improved health, higher lifetime earnings, lower incarceration rates, reduced crime, and greater overall stability.

Put simply: when the lowest in a system are taken care of, the entire system is stronger.

This matters for business, too.

Companies that prioritize diversity, equity, and inclusion perform better over time. They make better decisions. They innovate more. They retain talent longer. They build cultures people actually want to stay in.

Right now, we're in a climate where rhetoric is being used to exaggerate differences and divide people. The irony is that most employees want the same basic things: respect, opportunity, psychological safety, and a sense that their voice matters.

Especially in an administration deliberately ignoring constitutional rights, DEI exists more than ever to help more people participate fully in the systems they're already part of. When workplaces are clearer, fairer, and more humane, everyone operates better inside them—including those who already hold power.

Good workplaces don't happen by accident

DEI exists because humanity exists. Good societies don't happen by accident either. They're built in rooms where there is representation, variation, disagreement, and accountability.

So while we're navigating this era where DEI has become politically weaponized, here's what I'm asking:

We may be in a strange cultural moment, but this conversation isn't ending.

DEI may evolve. It may get rebranded. But the need for fairness, representation, and access will always exist.

So, my friends, don’t shrink.

Keep your voice.
Keep demanding equity as a baseline, not a favor.
Keep taking up space in rooms you belong in.

Note: This article was originally written earlier this month and published in The Assist before current events involving ICE agents and the death of a U.S. citizen. During this sensitive time in history, it is my opinion that our advocacy for equity, human rights and representation across the USA is more important than ever. If we want to build a skills-based workforce, this matters. If you disagree with or are offended by my position I kindly and respectfully invite you to unsubscribe and digest another newsletter that better aligns with your beliefs.

WEBINAR

What happens when 7 orgs set out to implement LERs for the first time?

SkillsFWD just released their final report demonstrating what their 7 grantees have learned and they’re pulling back the curtain to share insights on today’s webinar. Whether you’re LER-curious or actively building, this session offers practical insight on what it takes to move from “we should try this” to “we’re actually doing it.”

You’ll hear directly from SkillsFWD grantees what they built, what got in their way, and what they wish they knew earlier.

Why join?

• Get a plain-language view of how real orgs embedded LERs into education, workforce, and employer systems

• Learn what helped (and what hindered) progress across projects

• Walk away with lessons that could fast-track your own implementation

Webinar details

• From Vision to Impact: A Webinar Recap of the SkillsFWD Grant Program

• Wednesday, January 28

• 10:00 AM PT

✨Register for today’s webinar. 

BY THE NUMBERS

Diverse leadership drives stronger performance

💡 Companies with racially and ethnically diverse leadership and executive teams are 35% more likely to financially outperform peers with little or no diversity.

 Source: McKinsey – Diversity Matters Even More: The Case for Holistic Impact (2023)

AI in HR? It’s happening now.

Deel's free 2026 trends report cuts through all the hype and lays out what HR teams can really expect in 2026. You’ll learn about the shifts happening now, the skill gaps you can't ignore, and resilience strategies that aren't just buzzwords. Plus you’ll get a practical toolkit that helps you implement it all without another costly and time-consuming transformation project.

Get the free report today.

KNOWLEDGE

What to read, watch, and listen

📚 Read: 2025 State of Credentialing Report by Accredible
In case you missed this release last month, this report is based on two fresh surveys of a ~600+ HR and recruiting leaders. What makes it worth your time isn’t just the data, but the gap it reveals between how employers talk about digital credentials and how often they actually show up in hiring. A quick read if you want a clearer pulse on where credential adoption really stands right now.

📺 Watch: Conversation with Jensen Huang at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2026
NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang offers a provocative take on how AI could reshape—not replace—blue-collar work. It’s a sharp challenge to long-held assumptions about career advancement and which skills will matter most in the years ahead.

🎧 Listen: How Associations Can Use Microcredentials to Elevate Learning and Value from Learning by Association
If you’re wondering how microcredentials actually fit into existing certification ecosystems, this episode is a really solid listen. Bill Sheehan sits down with APIC’s Letty Kluttz to talk through what worked, what surprised them, and how associations can launch microcredentials without confusing members or diluting value. Practical, honest, and especially useful if you’re thinking about credentials beyond higher ed.

FOR FUN’SIES

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