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Guy Diedrich, Senior Vice President and Global Innovation Officer at Cisco.
As the global workforce adapts to the rapid pace of technological change, industry has reached a pivotal moment: The skills required for success in today’s job market are evolving faster than ever. Advances in artificial intelligence (AI) are driving this transformation and creating new opportunities while deepening the skills gap many workers face.
Organizations must prepare their workforces for an AI-driven future in order to realize economic growth, social equity and technological innovation. Unprepared workforces could result in economic wage gaps, trade imbalances, technological stagnation, social issues and national security threats. The opportunity to bridge this gap by transforming skilling and upskilling efforts is now here as the workforce prepares for the future.
The State Of Global Skills And Job Opportunities
A July 2024 AI-Enabled ICT Workforce Consortium report found that 91.5% of information and communication technology jobs “are expected to experience either high or moderate transformation due to advancements in AI.” Automation is reshaping dozens of industries; skills in data science, machine learning and cybersecurity are in demand, while the need for other skills like basic programming and coding will decline.
On top of this, workers in developing economies or lower-income communities often lack access to the necessary training or educational resources required to adopt these new skills. This digital divide has led to a growing demand for scalable and accessible upskilling initiatives.
Digital skill-building is critical to solving this divide and advancing the evolution of the global workforce. Digital skills across AI, cloud and networking are the best line of defense to address the worldwide gap in readiness. Skilling is also a pathway to participation, giving all the chance to benefit from the promise of advanced technology. This dynamic creates a pressing need for business and government leaders around the world to ensure their workforces are AI-ready and AI-enabled.
The Value Of Partnerships
Given the widespread, global need for upskilling, a concerted effort across public, private and nonprofit sectors around the world is necessary to successfully address the skills gap. The potential to create a greater impact skyrockets when global partners bring together diverse tools, capabilities and experiences.
Governments can create policies that support education, digital literacy and reskilling programs. In the private sector, companies can innovate, develop training tools and lead the way in creating industry-specific educational content. Meanwhile, nonprofit organizations and educational institutions can bridge gaps in access and ensure skilling opportunities reach underserved communities that need them most. Ultimately, this effort will create a broader talent pool and foster the development of essential skills in areas critical to the modern workforce.
At Cisco, engaging in partnerships across sectors has proved to be a worthwhile endeavor for global upskilling. Our Networking Academy (NetAcad) program partners with educational institutions and nonprofits to offer free IT training and certifications in 191 countries. NetAcad provides individuals worldwide with the skills needed to succeed in the new digital economy. To date, the program has helped over 24 million learners gain the technical skills required to pursue careers in AI, data science, networking, cybersecurity and other tech fields.
The Power Of Workforce Development
While building up the external workforce, organizations can also play a key role in workforce development by investing in upskilling efforts for their existing workforce. Targeted programs like AI certifications or other professional development courses create opportunities for employees to build the skills necessary for success in the digital economy. This can not only improve employee engagement but also ensure employees are better equipped to adapt to technological changes and evolving job requirements.
We’ve successfully engaged in similar efforts through an AI certification program to help employees build foundational AI skills. The demand for access to the program surpassed all expectations. Following the certification, we asked employees to share how they might apply the learnings from the training to their jobs and how they expect their jobs may evolve with AI. Employees shared over 280 ideas on how they could improve their roles as AI changes the workforce, and many noted AI would benefit their work efficiency and productivity.
Building A Skills-Based Society
As we look to the future, the shift from a job-based to a skills-based society must occur to meet the demands of the digital economy. The need to adapt to AI offers an unprecedented opportunity to democratize learning and prepare workers for the challenges of tomorrow. This vision, however, requires a collective effort.
Governments, businesses and nonprofit organizations must continue to invest in skilling programs and prioritize inclusivity. We must not only ensure access to training but also ensure the training is relevant for years to come. Creating a skills-based society is key to building a more resilient and adaptive workforce, and partnerships are one of the most powerful tools at our disposal to drive this transformation.
The future of work is here, and we have an opportunity—and a responsibility—to ensure every worker, no matter where they are in the world, has access to the skills they need to succeed.
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