The Nevada Governor’s Office of Economic Development (GOED), alongside the Aspen Institute Central Europe, has successfully executed workshops as part of the institute’s annual young leaders program. This event took place in Frenstat Pod Radhostem, Czech Republic, from April 3-6, 2025.
The program brought together young leaders from the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, and Hungary. The focus was on how technology, innovation, and shared objectives can help bridge workforce disparities in an era defined by automation and global shifts. A significant focus of the workshops was Nevada’s Individual Career Mapping (ICM) model, aimed at arming young professionals in Central Europe with necessary tools and insights.
Jakub Landovský, executive director of Aspen Institute Central Europe, highlighted the value brought by the ICM workshops, stating they "brought engagement about the labor market to the Young Leaders’ discussions and inspired important conversations." Jana Neupauerová expressed hopes to continue fostering these connections in the future.
The ICM methodology, part of GOED's strategy for innovation-based economic development, offers a scalable framework for career navigation and skill development. It was initially implemented at the Carson City Library and North Las Vegas Library District.
“ICM is now being adopted in libraries, schools, and workforce systems across Nevada, and has been gaining increasing national and international recognition," noted Carson City Library Director, Joy Holt.
Tammy Westergard, GOED’s senior workforce development librarian-in-residence, expressed gratitude to the Aspen Institute Central Europe for enabling the sharing of Nevada's career mapping innovations with emerging European leaders engaged with the future of work shaped by AI, automation, and demographic changes.
The ICM model incorporates virtual reality environments from sectors such as healthcare, agriculture, technology, and manufacturing, as well as Career Readiness Assessments developed by NCLab, a Reno-based startup. This aims to empower job seekers to make informed career decisions.
“Helping young people visualize their future careers in a way that feels real and inspiring is why we do what we do," said Mark Andersen, co-founder and president of Lifeliqe/Corinth, responsible for developing the virtual reality content.
Dr. Pavel Solin, NCLab’s founder, emphasized the importance of their Career Readiness Assessment in identifying key traits employers seek, such as learning ability and adaptability, in prospective hires.
The efforts are part of the broader mission by GOED to promote Nevada's economic development, foster business expansion, and attract new enterprises.