On April 7th, MAP-affiliated college chapters at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Pennsylvania State hosted the latest installment of MAP’s Red and Blue Dialogue series. Red & Blue Dialogues convene bipartisan young lawmakers, constituents, and policy experts of all political backgrounds to engage in productive, good-faith conversations about the most pressing policy issues facing future generations.

The evening’s topic of discussion was the future of work in America, a vital issue for young people — especially those newly entering the workforce — situated at the intersection of public policy, technology, and education.

Joining students from the two MAP college chapters for a panel discussion were two millennial legislators: Illinois Representative David Welter (R-75), the newly-announced Co-Chair of the IL Future Caucus; and Wisconsin Representative Francesca Hong (D-76), a freshman member of the Wisconsin legislature. The panel also featured expert in higher education and career development Dr. Robert Orndorff, Penn State’s Senior Director of Career Services and Affiliate Associate Professor in Counselor Education.

The lively discussion brought together a unique combination of stakeholders in the future of work conversation: students representing the next wave of American workers, young forward-thinking legislators who will play a vital role in shaping the landscape of work, and academics with the expertise needed to gracefully transition American industry to a new era.

This was the second Red and Blue Dialogue hosted by a college chapter of MAP. These college chapters are showing that the next generation has the enthusiasm, competence, and appetite for collaboration to solve our nation’s most important issues.