- May 20, 2021
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- May 20, 2025
On May 20, 2021, the Aspen Institute Germany and the American Council on Germany hosted the third discussion in our virtual event series State-to-State: German-American State Legislator Dialogue with German and American state legislators. While global challenges are addressed by national governments, increasingly subnational actors such as states, communities, and cities have needed to step up to take action when traditional nation-states have been unable to make progress due to political polarization and partisan gridlock. This trend has also characterized transatlantic relations and the German-American partnership.
The discussion with Juan Fernandez-Barquin (R), Florida House of Representatives, and Christina Kampmann MdL (SPD), State Parliament of North Rhine-Westphalia, focused on how states in both countries are addressing the challenges posed by long-lasting structural changes in our economies and the occupational landscape. What are the specific issues states are facing related to long-term structural changes in our economies? How can states strengthen the ability of enterprises and workers to adapt to changing labor demands and to benefit from innovation and investments in new technologies, clean energy, and the environment? How can we equip the workforce with the skills required for the jobs of today and tomorrow? What specific policies should governments consider in light of increased AI automation and a growing demand for technical skills? How can incentives for reskilling be democratized to create broader access to training opportunities?
This event is part of the State-to-State: German-American State Legislator Dialogue which the Aspen Institute Germany and the American Council on Germany have launched to provide a platform for subnational exchange amongst German and American state legislators and a broader audience on common transatlantic challenges. The project builds on Aspen Germany’s Laboratories of Democracy Initiative, a transatlantic exchange program for German and American state legislators.
