How Tammy Westergard Is Redefining Information, Literacy and the Future of Work
In a world where technology evolves almost daily and careers shift just as quickly, understanding the workforce has become as important as traditional education. Few people recognize this better than Tammy Westergard, the Senior Workforce Development Librarian-in-Residence with the Nevada Governor’s Office of Economic Development (GOED), who has spent decades helping students and communities learn how to navigate the rapidly changing world of work.
Westergard believes success in today’s economy depends on something she calls labor market literacy—the ability to understand how jobs, skills, employers, and technology connect. Just as reading and writing allow people to interpret books, labor market literacy allows individuals to interpret the workforce. It means recognizing which skills are in demand, understanding what employers are looking for, and adapting to the evolving realities of the modern economy.
“If you can’t read the world of work, there’s no chance of succeeding in it,” Westergard explains.
Her philosophy is rooted in a simple but powerful belief: information is the key to opportunity. Throughout her career as a librarian, educator, and workforce advocate, Westergard has focused on helping people develop the skills needed to seek out, interpret, and apply information effectively.
She describes this instinct as information-seeking behavior—a natural human tendency to look for answers when faced with a challenge. Whether someone is researching a college, exploring a career, or trying to understand new technology, they are engaging in the process of finding knowledge to solve a problem. Westergard’s work focuses on helping students apply that instinct to the labor market.
One of the biggest challenges facing today’s students is the rapid rise of artificial intelligence and automation. These technologies are transforming industries and changing how work is distributed around the world. Jobs that once required repetitive tasks are increasingly automated, while new careers are emerging in technology, engineering, healthcare, and advanced manufacturing.
Because change is happening so quickly, Westergard encourages students to think carefully about choosing careers that are “future proof.” Instead of focusing only on jobs that exist today, she teaches students to look for careers built on adaptable skills—fields where creativity, critical thinking, responsibility, and human judgment will remain valuable even as technology evolves.
“The people power that the world of work runs on is also known as talent,” she says.
Machines may process information faster than humans, but they cannot replace qualities such as accountability, communication, and decision-making. A bus driver transporting students, a nurse caring for patients, or a technician maintaining complex equipment must combine knowledge with responsibility and quick thinking—traits technology alone cannot replicate.
To help students explore these opportunities, Westergard has helped pioneer innovative programs designed to make career learning more immersive and accessible. One of the most exciting tools she promotes is virtual reality (VR).
Through VR headsets, students can step inside realistic simulations of workplaces and experience what different careers actually look like. Instead of simply reading about a profession, they can interact with it—repairing equipment, assisting patients, or navigating a busy work environment.
“To me, a VR headset is a book you can wear on your head,” Westergard says.
These simulations allow students to experiment without risk. A future firefighter can practice responding to emergencies, a potential healthcare worker can observe medical environments, and a student interested in engineering can interact with virtual machinery. Mistakes become learning opportunities, and curiosity becomes experience.
Programs such as Individual Career Mapping (ICM) and certification pathways like Manufacturing Technician Level 1 (MT1) help take this learning even further. These initiatives allow students not only to explore careers but also to earn credentials that demonstrate real-world skills to employers. By connecting education with industry needs, Westergard helps students move more confidently from learning to earning.
She also emphasizes that success in nearly every career now depends on a strong foundation in STEM skills—science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. From electricians and healthcare workers to entrepreneurs and construction professionals, these disciplines form the backbone of the modern workforce.
But knowledge alone is not enough. Westergard believes students must also develop communication, collaboration, adaptability, and critical-thinking skills. These abilities help individuals understand what employers value and position themselves effectively in an increasingly competitive labor market.
Her work represents a broader shift in how communities prepare young people for the future. By combining information literacy, workforce education, and emerging technology, Westergard is helping students bridge the gap between the classroom and real-world careers.
Her philosophy remains rooted in one powerful idea: information creates opportunity.
“When you know how to get information,” Westergard says, “you have a lot of power over your own life.”
Through her work with the Governor’s Office of Economic Development, Tammy Westergard is doing more than promoting workforce education. She is helping shape a generation of students who understand the labor market, choose future-proof careers, and enter the workforce prepared not just to participate—but to thrive.