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Aneesh Chopra’s new role: Tackling US unemployment with government data
Washington: Indian-American Aneesh Chopra, who was named by President Barack Obama as the first White House chief technology officer, is now working to make government data accessible for tackling unemployment.
During his tenure, Chopra’s role involved making government data more accessible. It’s a mission he has continued after his departure, according to the Washington Post.
After leaving the White House, he has founded Arlington-based start-up Hunch Analytics, assembling a band of public officials, tech entrepreneurs and think-tank analysts whose focus is firmly on the labour market. “With today’s technologies, we can do a lot more to build open data sets for skills,” Chopra was quoted as saying.
One of Chopra’s pilot efforts using data to tackle unemployment was a job portal for veterans called Veterans Talent, created last autumn. The site scraped data from Monster and LinkedIn and mapped the locations of unemployed veterans to geographic regions that had veteran-friendly job openings.
The project was intended as a proof-of-concept, but it taught the group about the importance of open data, said Leighanne Levensaler, senior vice president of products at Workday, a human resources software company that was involved in the project.
The closest thing to a standard national database is the Labor Department’s Occupational Information Network Web site, known as O*Net.
Built in the 1990s, the site compiles data on more than 900 occupations, with details about job skills, average compensation and a search tool to find jobs by state.
But although the site is continually updated, it has been slow to keep pace with the changing job market, according to Chopra and Levensaler.
Chopra convened a roundtable of government officials, academics and private-sector executives last month to discuss measures to improve O*Net, according to the Post.
Workday and LinkedIn are among the companies interested in the effort – which is still at a conceptual stage, Chopra said.
Last year, LinkedIn worked with the City of New York on a programme led by the mayor’s office to train and hire New Yorkers for technology jobs. The plan served as a model for the president’s initiative.
“No one company, no matter how amazing they are, has the capacity to get every employer in America to open up their skills data for every job posting,” Chopra was quoted as saying.
“The government has the capacity to convene stakeholders to open up the data.”
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Dr. Abhishek Verma Dedicates a Shelter in Memory of His Mother, Veena Verma, at KGMU; Inaugurated by Daughter Nicolle Verma
World-renowned business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has supported Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission. In memory of his mother, Late Veena Verma, who was a 3 term Rajya Sabha MP.
Dr. Verma dedicated a state-of-the-art free permanent shelter for the attendants of patients at KGMU Medical University, Lucknow, under the aegis of Vijay Shree Foundation. His daughter, Nicolle Verma, inaugurated the shelter.
During the event, Foodman Vishal Singh honored Nicolle Verma by presenting her with a memento. Mrs. Nidhi Sharma and Avantika Yadav, associated with the organization, welcomed her with garlands. Following this, Nicolle Verma distributed essential items to the attendants and also handed out fruits. She became emotional remembering her grandmother on her birth anniversary.
On this occasion, she also inaugurated the “Veena Verma Sevalaya” in memory of her grandmother, Veena Verma, to serve the attendants. She expressed, “I feel proud that my family is engaged in nation-building as well as social service. Today, in collaboration with Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh Ji, I feel immensely proud to dedicate this shelter for the poor, helpless, and needy attendants of patients battling serious illnesses like cancer. I am honored to be associated with the Hunger-Free World Mission for humanity.”
Inspired by the continuous humanitarian service provided by Vijay Shree Foundation over the past 17 years, Nicolle Verma donated 10 lakh rupees to support the cause. The purpose of this donation is to ensure that services continue for the needy attendants of patients suffering from severe illnesses in hospitals, as facilitated by Foodman Vishal Singh.
It is noteworthy that Dr. Abhishek Verma’s family has a legacy of public and philanthropic service. They are helping millions to carry forward the values and service work of their parents. On the occasion of his mother’s birth anniversary, Dr. Abhishek Verma dedicated this state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College to serve the attendants of patients through the Vijay Shree Foundation.
Supporting Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission, Dr. Abhishek Verma assured that he would continually support keeping this flame of humanity alive. He also promised to assist in providing medicines to the helpless patients.
Continuing her grandmother’s legacy of service, Nicolle Verma personally served food to the needy patients and attendants. She said, “It is our good fortune to have received the joy of doing this noble work today through Foodman Vishal Singh. I have taken another step forward in carrying my family’s values and cooperation by joining hands with the Vijay Shree Foundation. My father taught me to serve and help the needy, and I feel happy when I bring a smile to someone’s face.”
On the birth anniversary of the late Veena Verma, the event organizer, Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh, said, “We feel proud and happy that Dr. Abhishek Verma, a globally renowned business tycoon, has extended his support to uplift our country from the hunger index. Today, on his mother’s birth anniversary, he inaugurated a state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College, which will always be helpful for the needy attendants of patients. It is a pleasure for me and the organization to receive the affection of Mr. Verma.”
The event was attended by General Manager Verma Family Office Hemant Garg, Sonu Rajput, and the organization’s volunteers, including Sandeep Singh, Parmeshwar Ji, Prashant Rao Gautam, Balram Singh, Ramesh Chaudhary, Suman, Jeetu, Anil, Suraj, Vinay, Manish Bhadauria, Manas Mehrotra, Vivek, Apurv, Happy, and others.