The Mid-Career Moment: Making Workforce Innovation Work For Everyone

Originally published by Forbes

By Lynette Bell, COUNCIL POST | Membership (fee-based). 
Lynette Bell is Head of Truist Philanthropy and President of Truist Foundation. 

Workforce development is finally getting the attention it deserves. But one group is often still left out of the conversation: the workers we already have.

Mid- to late-career adults—individuals in their 40s, 50s and beyond, often with decades of experience—are navigating career transitions, layoffs, automation and shifting industry demands, often without a roadmap. They make up over 40% of the U.S. workforce yet are significantly less likely to be targeted by reskilling programs or digital training initiatives, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, and 70% of workers today say they feel unprepared for the future of work.

This is a missed opportunity.

Experience No Longer Guarantees Stability

The assumption that experience equals job stability or security no longer holds. Entire industries are being reshaped by artificial intelligence and digital transformation. The World Economic Forum estimates that 60% of workers globally will need significant upskilling by 2030. But most of the investment and innovation in workforce development still targets younger workers or high-tech talent pipelines, leaving mid-career professionals without a clear path forward.

At Truist Foundation, a purpose-driven financial services company, I’ve seen firsthand how these challenges disproportionately affect mid-career workers, especially those without college degrees or digital access. The result? A growing population of capable, motivated individuals who are underemployed or stuck in roles that don’t reflect their potential.

In collaboration with MIT Solve, our third Inspire Awards challenge earlier this year focused on workforce development, with a particular emphasis on adult learners and career changers. Our six nonprofit finalists are tackling the issue head-on, providing innovative solutions such as:

• Connecting learners to social services to overcome non-academic barriers,

• Equipping veterans to enter the high-demand electrical trade industry,

• Offering call-center training for older adults,

• Reskilling returning citizens for trucking careers,

• Training workers in sustainable material reuse and

• Helping tradespeople become career and technical education teachers.

These organizations aren’t just building tools; they’re building trust. And they’re proving that technology, when used responsibly, is not a threat but a complement. Recent research from MIT Sloan shows that AI is far more likely to augment human work than replace it, especially in roles that rely on empathy, judgment and creativity. In workforce development, that means using AI to personalize learning, streamline access to services and match workers with opportunities, not to automate away their value.

So, what’s next? For business and philanthropy, this moment calls for more than incremental change. It demands a reset in how we think about talent, technology and economic mobility. Four priorities stand out to me:

1. Address the barriers that make learning inaccessible. Skills gaps aren’t the only challenge. Workers can’t train if they can’t get online, secure childcare or afford time away from their jobs. Pair investments with wraparound support, in partnership across corporate social impact teams and local nonprofits.

2. Design solutions with workers, not around them. The best innovations begin with listening. Mid-career employees know where the friction points are. Bring their voices into program design to ensure solutions are practical and grounded in lived experience.

3. Measure what really matters. Training completion rates don’t tell the full story. Track long-term career mobility: wage gains, job quality, stability and whether workers feel a greater sense of agency in their careers. These give a more honest picture of impact and help employers and funders invest where it counts.

4. Champion a culture of lifelong learning. When leaders model curiosity and normalize skill-building as part of the workday, they send a powerful message: Growth is continuous, and everyone belongs in the future of work.

What Philanthropy Must Do Differently

Philanthropy has long funded workforce development, but too often in silos. If we want to meet this moment, we need to shift from funding isolated programs to investing in ecosystems—networks that connect employers, educators, community organizations and tech innovators.

As funders, we have a responsibility—and a privilege—to help shape the future of work so it works for everyone. That means asking tough questions, supporting innovators and investing in solutions that reflect the realities of the people we serve. It also means being willing to learn and adapt. I also think it's important to advocate for co-designed solutions—programs built with, not just for, the people they serve. Because if we’re not building with workers, we’re building for no one.

The Future Of Work

The future of work isn’t just about preparing the next generation. It’s about reinvesting in the generation that’s already here. If we want a workforce that’s resilient, inclusive and ready for what’s next, we need to stop designing for idealized talent pipelines and start building for real people, in real time.

The mid-career moment is here. Let’s meet it with bold ideas, inclusive innovation and the urgency it deserves.

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