Latest news with #JobsForTheFuture
New York Times
04-07-2025
- Business
- New York Times
Filling Jobs, and Bridging the Blue-Collar Gap
To the Editor: 'Revive Manufacturing? Factories Can't Fill Jobs Now' (Business, June 25) rightly highlights the demographic and cultural forces driving the shrinking pipeline of skilled workers. But too much of the conversation frames employers as passive recipients of talent, rather than active participants in developing it. Employers must move from a just-in-time approach to talent to a long-term investment strategy — starting with youth apprenticeship and other forms of work-based learning. The workplace must become an extension of the classroom, where students earn while they learn and build the skills that today's economy demands. It's encouraging to see coordinated leadership from the Business Roundtable and efforts like the Workforce Partnership Initiative. But we need more, especially as work force and education programs face potential federal cuts. Thousands of employers nationwide must follow suit — designing youth apprenticeships, partnering with schools and embedding learning into the job itself. If we want more young people to see a future in manufacturing, we need more employers to show them what it looks like — on the job, starting now. John LaddWashingtonThe writer is a senior adviser at the nonprofit Jobs for the Future and a former administrator at the U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Apprenticeship. To the Editor: Farah Stockman's article about manufacturing work-force challenges examined manufacturers' struggles finding skilled workers. One recent Trump administration decision eliminates a promising tool to address this challenge. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Yahoo
18-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Majority of high schoolers say they don't feel prepared for post-graduation
This story was originally published on HR Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily HR Dive newsletter. Fewer than 30% of high school students feel 'very prepared' to pursue a postsecondary pathway, whether a traditional four-year college degree, work or other options, according to a June 10 report from Jobs for the Future, Gallup and the Walton Family Foundation. Even among students interested in a specific pathway, only 46% said they feel 'very prepared,' the report found. 'In order to build a stronger economy, we have to help young people understand not just what jobs are out there, but what pathways are available to them to pursue and succeed in those jobs,' said Maria Flynn, CEO of Jobs for the Future. 'Young people need support exploring their career interests and education pathways at a much earlier age so they graduate high school with a tangible understanding of the kind of training and skills they'll need for the jobs of tomorrow,' Flynn said. In a survey of Generation Z high schoolers and their parents, both groups were most aware of two traditional post-graduation pathways: pursuing a four-year college degree and joining the workforce. About a third of high schoolers and more than half of parents said they knew 'a great deal' about bachelor's degree options and paying jobs. However, both said they didn't know as much about other pathways, such as certification programs, internships, apprenticeships, military options or entrepreneurship. At least half of parents said they know 'only a little' or 'nothing at all' about pathways other than college degrees and paid jobs. Notably, parents were the most trusted source for post-graduation guidance, with 90% of students saying they relied on their parents for information about degree and job pathways. After that, students said they relied on teachers (54%), other family members (52%) and school counselors (48%). Fewer than a third of students said they trust career websites or social media posts from strangers. Among recent high school graduates, fewer than half said their school prepared them for any option other than college or a job. Nearly 1 in 10 said their high school didn't prepare them for any option. Although students pointed to in-person college visits, internships and jobs as the most helpful experiences for learning about their options, many hadn't participated in those options. About half of students said they've never had a job or internship, and more than a third said they've never gone for a college visit. More than half of hiring managers say recent graduates are unprepared for the workforce, and 1 in 6 say they're reluctant to hire from the Gen Z cohort, according to a report from Employers expressed concerns about a lack of professionalism, excessive phone use and poor time management skills. Compared to five years ago, employees and executives alike say entry-level workers seem unprepared for their jobs, according to a General Assembly survey. Leaders cited a lack of training in both soft skills and technical skills, yet employees and executives also said companies don't provide enough training to new hires, the report found. Additional post-graduation pathways, including 'earn-and-learn' programs such as apprenticeships, internships and work-study programs, can help workers gain skills and experience while earning a paycheck and benefit employers through higher retention and fewer workforce gaps, according to a Government Accountability Office report. Employers named barriers such as administrative burden and cost, which some federal agencies are trying to address with new initiatives, GAO found. Recommended Reading Employees want change — and feedback may be part of that
Forbes
18-06-2025
- Business
- Forbes
AI First? Make Sure Your People Understand It First
AI: Educate first. getty AI-first thinking doesn't just spring out of a vacuum. Leaders and employees need to adopt an AI-first mindset that prepares everyone for the changes ahead. This makes training and education about AI more important than anything – and where any AI-first efforts are most likely to get bogged down. Among students, 65% say they had not had the opportunity to take an AI-specific or AI-inclusive courses at their universities, according to a student-run survey published in EdTech. Only three percent felt very confident that their education would help them secure a job in a field involving AI. AI education is still lacking for current employees as well. While the percentage of workers using AI for their jobs increased from eight percent in 2023 to more than one-third (35%) as of this spring, only 31% said their employer-provided training on AI tools, according to a survey released by Jobs for the Future. In addition, AI use appears to an individual endeavor, with a majority (60%) reporting using AI primarily for self-directed learning. The importance of education and training to prepare organizations for an AI future is emphasized by Adam Brotman and Andy Sack, in their latest book, AI First: The Playbook for a Future-Proof Business and Brand. An AI-first policy cannot move forward without education and training, said Brotman, former chief digital officer at Starbucks, and Sack, former adviser to Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella. 'An AI-first mindset requires a commitment to ongoing education about AI technologies and their potential applications," they wrote. "It encourages experimentation and learning from both successes and failures, ensuring that teams stay ahead of technology advancements.' Such programs should begin with programs 'to build proficiency across the organization. These programs should cover AI basics, applications, and potential impacts on various business functions.' Ultimately, AI education and training smooths the way for 'proper governance and process for scaling AI within your company," they added. "You can't effectively advise the company on an appropriate AI use policy or help prioritize potential AI pilots if you don't have a basic understanding of how the foundational AI systems work, versus still needing to improve, or the variety of capabilities and workflows that stem from AI." Brotman and Slack outline the progression for both individuals and their organizations – from experimenting with AI to building an AI-first culture: Notably, an AI-first mindset also borrows from the 'lean' approach to management, emphasizing 'continuous improvement and innovations by building products that customers want through interactive cycles of build, measure, and learning,' Brotman and Slack pointed out. AI-first lean thinking 'starts with identifying the core problem that needs solving and developing a minimum viable product to test hypotheses. Lean thinking is about reducing waste in processes, understanding customer needs through direct feedback, and pivoting strategies based on data and insights.'
Forbes
08-05-2025
- Business
- Forbes
3 Tips To Stay Relevant In Your Job, From A Gen X Professional
As a member of Generation X who has tracked trends in education and employment for a living for over two decades, Steven Kurutz's article about the Gen X 'career meltdown' hit a little too close to home. Kurutz describes the career fate of Gen X workers who work as creatives in newspaper journalism, photography, graphic arts, and related industries. He convincingly explains that, due to AI, this group of workers teeters on obsolescence when we should be at the height of our careers. As AI becomes more of a must-know than a nice-to-know, I've been thinking about what this means for the skills, credentials, and experiences I should pursue to remain competitive and continue adding value in my career. Over the last year, I had the opportunity to collaborate with my colleagues in Jobs for the Future (JFF)'s Center for AI and the Future of Work and a stellar advisory committee to investigate how AI could lead to quality jobs, catalyze wealth-building, and promote economic opportunity for everyone — particularly for workers in jobs that are susceptible to disruption from AI and automation. This led to AI for Economic Opportunity and Advancement: A Call to Action, a guide for how education and workforce practitioners, employers, investors and policymakers can ensure that AI makes everybody better off. This process helped me consider some changes I need to make to stay relevant at work. I'll share them here in the event they are helpful to my fellow Gen Xers (and my younger generation colleagues, too). Over the next three years, 92% of companies plan to increase their investments in AI. If you think you can avoid integrating AI into your skillset, it's not likely. AI is now a core feature in leading business process software. Gen X workers who want to continue to add value at work must be proactive in getting smart about AI. Don't make the mistake of waiting for your employer to help you get up to speed. Employers are rapidly implementing AI, but few are providing support to their employees. Only 31% of workers report receiving employer-provided AI training, according to a survey that accompanied the Call to Action. Unless you work for companies like PwC and Accenture, which are investing billions of dollars in providing AI upskilling support to their teams, you are largely on your own. Employers tend to prioritize AI skills over experience, according to a 2024 Microsoft and LinkedIn study. Specifically, 71% of business leaders would choose a less experienced candidate with AI expertise over a more experienced candidate lacking those skills, and 77% believe AI will allow early-career talent to take on greater responsibilities. Unsurprisingly, younger generations are using AI more, with 85% of Gen Zers using it at work, compared with 76% of Gen Xers. This shift means that having more experience no longer guarantees a competitive edge for Gen X workers. Unless we acquire AI skills, we may find ourselves outpaced in job opportunities and career advancement by our Millennial and Gen Z colleagues. No one is coming to save us. Most of us in the 'sandwich generation' need to work at least 15 to 20 or so more years before we can comfortably retire, but there's no way to do that without learning a few more tricks. We can't fall into the cognitive trap known as the Einstellung effect, where our existing knowledge flattens and the range of ideas and solutions we consider narrows. AI can help us get out of our own way, identify blind spots, and solve problems in ways we might not have previously envisioned, according to Harvard Business Review. But we should avoid going it alone. Collaborating with our younger colleagues will help us go further faster. The power of unlocking innovation lies in combining the different kinds of knowledge that Gen X and younger generations of workers hold. Let me explain: Gen Xers have more lived experience than our Millennial and Gen Z colleagues. We have what psychologists call crystallized intelligence, the knowledge accumulated from prior learning and past experiences. Our younger colleagues tend to have more fluid intelligence, which allows them to solve new problems without relying on past knowledge. Collaborating across generations in formal and informal ways at work on teams and on projects can generate win-win solutions that enhance creativity and innovation. As we learn more about integrating these new AI capabilities into our daily work lives, it's helpful to remember what we can do that this technology cannot. AI may be able to fulfill some technical functional aspects of your job, but it doesn't have the unique experience you bring to your work. A key takeaway from the Call to Action is that we want AI to uplift what it means to be human. For instance, AI can efficiently manage my research on education and employment, often completing tasks faster than I can. It can also identify significant trends in my field. You may be in a similar situation if you are in a knowledge-driven profession. However, there are certain aspects of me and my experience that AI simply can't replace. AI cannot fully grasp my perspective, which is shaped by my personal journey. The data AI is trained on doesn't adequately represent the experiences of many Americans who share a similar racial, ethnic, and economic background as mine. I have worked at my job for 20 years, during which I have collaborated meaningfully with leading organizations and experts in my field. These experiences have given me valuable insights that I continue developing daily. In addition, my liberal arts education and multidisciplinary graduate studies give me a unique perspective on AI's outputs. While there is still much to learn, my experiences make it difficult for AI to replicate exactly what I do. As Gen Xers navigate this new world and reimagine their careers, it's important to remember to use this technology as a support, not a replacement. Embracing AI can help reinvigorate our work when our careers are losing momentum. By leveraging our experience, unique perspectives, and the strengths that define us, we not only avoid becoming obsolete but can thrive in this next chapter.
