{"post":{"id":"9d11de38-42fc-459f-b61b-b51ddd802265","slug":"shaping-the-future-of-work-ai-workforce-innovation-and-resilience","title":"Shaping the Future of Work: AI, Workforce Innovation, and Resilience","body":"I am honored to once again be speaking at the California Workforce - Association's Meeting of the Minds 2026, September 8 to 10 at the Monterey Marriott.\n\nThe session, \"Shaping the Future of Work: Workforce. Innovation. Impact.,\" will dig into where workforce development, AI and resilience meet. That is the intersection I live in every day: building an industrial logistics campus at the nation's busiest port complex (Port of Los Angeles and Port of Long Beach), advising operators on how to actually deploy AI, and chairing the boards charged with making sure City of Long Beach residents and businesses come along for the ride.\n\nA few things I plan to put on the table:\n\nAI is a skill, not a job title. The workforce system needs to treat it like reading and math.\n\nEmployers do not need more studies and reports. They need a talent pipeline that is ready to operate in new workflows and with new expectations. \n\nResilience is built locally: one region, one workforce board, one campus at a time.\n\nGrateful to represent Ventures 52, Waterfront Logistics, Invest Long Beach and the Long Beach Workforce Innovation Board. Thank you to @California Workforce Association for the invitation.\n\nIf you are heading to Monterey, find me. I want to hear what is working in your region.\n\n#MMM26 #MeetingOfTheMinds #CWA #CaliforniaWorkforceAssociation #FutureOfWork #WorkforceDevelopment #WorkforceInnovation #LBWIN #CityOfLongBeach #LongBeach #EconomicDevelopment #AI #ArtificialIntelligence #Logistics #SupplyChain #Ports #Leadership","topic":"growth","byline":"weston","linkedin_url":"https://www.linkedin.com/in/westonlabar/recent-activity/all/","media":[{"h":720,"w":480,"id":"deffe495-69e6-4b83-ae51-e8b7ad3df29c","alt":" A man promoting AI","ext":"webp","crop":{"h":0.4167,"w":1,"x":0,"y":0.019},"kind":"image","bytes":168556}],"published_at":"2026-09-02T19:18:00+00:00","updated_at":"2026-10-13T15:08:18.988557+00:00","card":null},"prev":{"slug":"ai-strategy-and-workforce-readiness-at-datacon-la","title":"AI Strategy and Workforce Readiness at DataCon LA"},"next":{"slug":"connecting-on-the-future-of-freight-at-iana-intermodal-expo","title":"Connecting on the Future of Freight at IANA Intermodal EXPO"}}