The Burning Glass Institute
Katherine Townsend Kiernan is a Program Manager at The Burning Glass Institute since January 2023, focusing on workforce development and economic opportunity. Prior to this role, Katherine served as a Research Analyst II at the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta from June 2019 to December 2022, where involvement centered on employment policies impacting low- and moderate-income individuals. Previously, Katherine held positions as a Research Analyst I and Market Analyst Intern at the Federal Reserve Bank. Additional experience includes serving as a Public Finance Fellow at the Center for State and Local Finance, an Analyst Intern at the Georgia Department of Audits and Accounts, and a Junior Analyst at Lincoln Property Company Atlanta. Katherine's early career featured roles as a Research Assistant at the World Affairs Council of Atlanta and a Head Lifeguard at Dynamo Pool Management. Katherine earned a Master of Arts in Economics from Georgia State University and a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Philosophy from Oglethorpe University.
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The Burning Glass Institute
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Situated at the intersection of learning and work, the Burning Glass Institute advances data-driven research and practice on the future of work and of workers. We work with educators, employers, and policymakers to develop solutions that build mobility, opportunity, and equity through skills. Today’s job market is being reshaped by unprecedented dynamism, with significant implication for our society. 30% of the average job’s skills have been replaced over the past decade, challenging higher education to keep up and threatening industry with the prospect of major talent disruption. How can companies and communities ensure that the workforce they have can be the workforce they need for the future? In this context, the Burning Glass Institute’s work is increasingly urgent. Industry suffers severe talent shortages even as workers remain stuck on a treadmill of low-wage employment. Companies struggle to attract diverse workers even as talent pools go underleveraged. Colleges and universities often fail to align their programs with labor market demand, leading to disappointing outcomes for graduates and poor returns on education and training investments for students and the public alike. Meanwhile, the sizeable opportunity and yawning need to support workers in acquiring new skills throughout their careers go unaddressed amidst declining higher education enrollments. The impact of these problems extends beyond individual employers or institutions. The inability to predict and build pipelines for future talent needs challenges the competitiveness of regions, sectors, and nations. Through our expertise in mining new datasets for actionable insight, the Burning Glass Institute’s research draws attention to pressing problems and frames the potential for new approaches. We also work to put innovative ideas into practice. Through project-based engagement, focused working groups, and data sharing collectives, we bring forward solutions that are high-impact and replicable.