This video is the first in a four-part series “Workforce InFocus”, which explores the role of workforce education in business success from industry leaders.

As former President and CEO of Ford Motor Company, Mark Fields headed up over 200,000 employees at the world’s fourth largest car manufacturer. He learned a hard lesson early in his career that an economic downturn is not the time to cut learning and development (L&D) investments. 

Ford had done so during the Great Recession in the late 2000s, resulting in a shortage of talent when the company emerged into the growth economy of the 2010s. As CEO, Fields championed workforce education as a core driver of the company’s overall business strategy. He sees this as key to the future as organizations shift towards a more skills-based approach to talent management.

Fields challenges himself and other leaders to leave their organization and their people better than they found it. “It’s not just about the numbers,” he says, “are you building a next generation that's going to be able to carry on and do even better work than you've done?” 

See how Fields prioritized skills training and workforce development to bring record profits during his tenure at Ford, improving both the health of the company and the well-being of workers and their families.

To learn more about how InStride can empower your business through workforce education, get in touch today.