Strengthening the Women's Workforce and Education for USA National & Economic Security

The modern workforce is undergoing rapid changes due to advancements in Hardware Infrastructure to support applications such as AI, Machine Learning, Cybersecurity, and Big Data, leading to an increasing demand for new skills and capabilities. However, productivity is hindered by a scarcity of properly skilled production-ready workers and a shortage of workers trained in advanced manufacturing technologies. The disappearance of traditional apprenticeship programs has led to a reliance on importing skills from other countries. Small to medium-sized firms aren't equipped to implement effective talent management strategies or necessary external support.  Additionally, there is a need to empower the education system and the women's workforce, particularly in fields such as Photonics, Optics, and scientific research to build efficient end products that go into the mature and emerging technologies, technology transfer products. Addressing these challenges and implementing effective strategies is crucial for overall productivity and workforce development, benefitting the overall physical sciences and applications ecosystem. Further policy and support development is necessary to address these challenges.