Q&A with Artem Gulish: “There are no limits to human potential and ingenuity”
CEW Senior Policy Strategist and Research Faculty Artem Gulish discusses his academic background and research career, the economy during the pandemic, policy developments to watch, and the future of work.
When did you decide to pursue a career in research, and why?
I wouldn’t say there was one particular point when I made that decision. Since childhood, I’ve had an inquisitive mind. In college, I discovered an affinity for economics and studied policy analysis and research methods. And I had a front seat to policy-making history, as I observed the Affordable Care Act move through Congress while assisting with a research project in grad school. So, looking back, it makes sense that my career took this direction, but I can’t say there was a specific point when I decided that this is what I want to do or that this was all part of a big plan I had early in life.
How did you become interested in CEW’s research?
I joined CEW after grad school, working with Nicole Smith, CEW’s chief economist, on a report focusing on the healthcare workforce. My background in healthcare policy and practice, including my previous work on licensing and scope-of-practice issues among different types of healthcare professionals, was a great match for that project.
My continued interest in CEW’s research has been driven by a personal appreciation for CEW’s focus on the interconnections between education and the workforce. I myself faced challenges when making the transition from school to the labor market in the midst of the fallout from the Great Recession. Moreover, despite the perplexities I faced when trying to navigate the US higher education system as someone from another country, I was very fortunate that education made a big difference in my life. After all, what are the chances that a kid from a poor neighborhood in a minor city in Ukraine, after starting his postsecondary education at a community college, would go on to graduate from Cornell University, get a master’s degree from Georgetown University, and become a research faculty member at CEW?
Some people may see my story as an example of meritocratic success, but I’m not a poster child for our meritocratic system. I’ve been very fortunate to attend schools in one of the top school districts in the country, to have had my eyes opened to available opportunities at a wonderful community college, and to have had the support and guidance of family, teachers, professors, counselors, supervisors, and peers. Yet, so many people in our country do not get the same opportunities, within either our education system or our economy. And being at CEW allows me to play a small role in efforts to change that.
Compared to other recessions, what stood out to you in the data from the 2020 recession?
This was not a normal recession. This was the first time in modern US history that large parts of the economy had to be severely restricted or shut down. The job losses were basically off the charts, breaking all records since the US government started collecting modern job change data in 1939. However, unlike a normal recession that hits consumer discretionary industries hardest, as families pull back on elective spending, this recession caused job losses based on the amount of in-person interaction involved and the extent to which tasks could be performed remotely. So, workers in the leisure and hospitality industry have borne the brunt of the job losses as restaurants closed or restricted capacity, travel contracted, and many concerts and movie releases were canceled. Moreover, many parents, in particular mothers, left the workforce, as schools switched to online classes. In addition, this recession and recovery have been marked by a great amount of uncertainty — uncertainty about the course of the pandemic, uncertainty about the economy, uncertainty about inflation, and uncertainty about policy interventions. No other recovery in my memory has seen record numbers of job openings that employers have trouble filling because people are afraid to interact with the public, or don’t want to wear masks for hours, or have trouble arranging childcare.
What major policy proposals should we watch over the next few years?
The greatest momentum in the policy arena when it comes to education, training, and the workforce is with the bipartisan infrastructure and the reconciliation bills that Congress is currently considering. The initial reconciliation bill, or Build Back Better Act, included many major policy changes, such as free community college; universal preschool; an increase in the maximum Pell Grant; and funding for work-based learning, training, and community college–industry partnerships. However, it is not clear which of these policies, if any, will ultimately be enacted.
Free community college, in particular, would have been a sea change in the postsecondary arena, but it was recently dropped from the Build Back Better Act. I’m a community college graduate myself, and my experience at Montgomery College transformed my life. But making community colleges tuition-free would be just the first step. Community colleges will also need sufficient resources to meet their expanded responsibilities. Community college students need adequate supports to succeed and robust transfer pathways to continue their education. And community colleges should not be the only option available to low-income students. All students must have adequate information and guidance to make the best choices for them.
Beyond the bills Congress is currently considering, the bipartisan College Transparency Act would create a national student-level, privacy-protected data system, which would provide greater insights into the education and workforce outcomes of students at postsecondary institutions.
Also, we expect Congress to reauthorize the Higher Education Act (HEA) and the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) within the next couple years.
What are your thoughts on the future of work?
We are currently witnessing the emergence of new frontiers in science and technology that will change our economy and the world of work, including artificial intelligence, renewable energy and climate change mitigation, high-speed communications networks, and space exploration. Some fear these changes, believing that robots and computer programs will automate jobs and make human workers obsolete. History tells us, however, that while new technologies make some roles obsolete, they also create many new and more fulfilling ones by freeing up people to address more complex problems, undertake more intricate tasks, and engage in more meaningful pursuits. I believe that there are no limits to human potential and ingenuity, nor to the productive endeavors we can pursue.
Will there be transitional challenges and growing pains? Of course, and they will have a much greater impact on some people than others. That is why we need policies to protect vulnerable workers; ensure equitable distribution of the economic benefits of new technologies; provide retraining, upskilling, and support services to facilitate workers’ transitions to new in-demand roles; and ensure that young people receive education and training, along with counseling and guidance to help them navigate the shifting landscape of transitioning to adulthood.
What excites you about your current or upcoming research projects?
What excites me is the opportunity to further explore the vast potential of future human endeavors, along with the policies and practices that will make the opportunities presented by that future open to more people in a more equitable way. This includes making sure that young people receive the education, training, information, guidance, and support they need to take on the new challenges of the future. And it includes making sure that all young people — regardless of race, ethnicity, class, or gender — have opportunities to develop their potential, realize their aspirations, and contribute to the world. Any society that does not adequately invest in its youth and doesn’t find ways to channel and capitalize on their creative energies cannot be successful in the long run.
Artem Gulish is a senior policy strategist and research faculty at the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce. CEW is an independent, nonprofit research and policy institute affiliated with the Georgetown McCourt School of Public Policy that studies the links among education, career qualifications, and workforce demands.
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