Reskilling strategy AI: the skills crisis is already here

Recently, on a 26-hour flight from the USA to Sydney, I lay wide awake. My mind raced. I was deeply engrossed in thoughts about recent conversations with industry leaders and customers. In the last 8 days, I collaborated with business and workforce leaders from diverse industries. We engaged in strategic thinking to solve their challenges.

• Updating workforce skills for evolving business needs is essential for staying competitive.
• Integrating new technologies effectively in business operations poses a significant challenge.
• Digitalization in manufacturing brings both opportunities and challenges. Especially in workforce adaptation.
• Diminishing job prospects for university students due to technological advancements need solutions. Retraining and a focus on emerging fields are critical.

40,000 feet in the air, I realized. We are not heading toward a skills crisis. We are already in it.

AI has been described by many as more transformative than electricity or the birth of the internet. It's having sweeping socioeconomic impacts before people even know of its existence. The technology advances at an unprecedented rate. Combined with existing global workforce challenges and skill shortages, this has propelled us into a full-blown crisis. We've sleepwalked into a new era of work. Automation has been moving at lightspeed in the background. And our collective response has been more discussion than tangible change.

I found myself wondering about the people on this plane. How many would be affected? What would it mean for them and their families?

My thoughts turned to my daughters, Tierna, age 9, and Indie, age 5. I wondered about the jobs they would do in the future. Or if traditional work would even be part of their lives. Each new generation shows increased appetite for flexibility and non-linear careers. Would they find purpose and fulfillment from work as I do? What would they study to be prepared?

And what were the implications of technology performing better than a human in a role?

Questions raced through my mind. Drawing from decades of experience as a workforce strategist, I felt sure of one thing. At this moment, we face a crisis for which we are utterly unprepared. In the last four years, workforce and talent leaders have been thrust to the forefront of every major issue. They've become pivotal in navigating uncharted waters.

Every enterprise is deploying AI. Almost none can see the work they're deploying it into.

And I reflected on my role as a CEO in this crisis. A spark went off.

I see an incredible opportunity. Especially in my own business. To fully adopt AI. I also believe my role has become even more vital now. Ensuring we reskill the world and no one is left behind.

With my perspective on global workforce strategy and Ethical AI, I have the privilege of engaging with top leaders globally. I work alongside companies as they pioneer workforce redesign. With these insights, I can create a community. One of knowledge-sharing, experimenting, and a safe space to troubleshoot failures and celebrate wins.

It is the very core of what makes us most human. Our connection with one another. The power of collective curiosity and ambition. That will pave our path through the skills crisis.

I'm going to dive in headfirst. Share the entire journey with you. Warts and all. But first, let's level set on the facts.

The experts all point to a resounding "yes"

Goldman Sachs predicts a 7% global GDP increase over the next 10 years from generative AI. But this comes with a significant caveat. The potential automation of 300 million full-time jobs. You read that right. About two-thirds of US occupations are at risk of augmentation. A quarter of jobs could be replaced entirely by AI. The imperative for adaptability and reskilling is more crucial than ever.

This crisis impacts workers across all sectors. From desk-bound roles to deskless and frontline workers. It creates a wave of displacement we are not yet prepared to handle.

We've spent a decade pushing people toward careers in technology, legal, and accounting. All now vulnerable to AI. We are underestimating generative AI's transformative power. We are not properly preparing our future workforce. A study this year revealed only 4 out of 10 college graduates said their education taught them the skills they needed.

What if Goldman Sachs is right? How will 300 million people survive? Is a universal minimum wage a necessary step forward? If so, who will fund it?

Interestingly, the jobs most protected from automation are those we've historically undervalued. Nursing and teaching. These require advanced human skills. Empathy, interpersonal communication, and foundational education. As we navigate this shift, a supply-demand gap for these skills will force us to reassess how we value these roles financially.

These are real problems. Steamrolling ahead as I type this. We are not implementing answers fast enough or widespread enough. They are impacting the most vulnerable populations at a disproportionate rate.

The skills crisis impacts people, business, and society

The skills crisis touches nearly everything we know about modern life.

For people

• Wages. The rise of automation impacts lower-wage jobs. Without safeguards, low-income workers' standard of living will suffer.
• Technical skills. Not everyone has equitable access to education for the technical skills they need. In school and on the job.
• Human skills. In an era where AI is ubiquitous, we must each learn skills for an increasingly automated world. Adaptability, creativity, critical thinking. We must also nurture skills that cannot yet be automated. These may be in short supply.
• Careers of the future. Transparency in career trajectories is more vital than ever. We must guide individuals toward roles that will be in demand.

For businesses

• Workforce planning. Companies must deeply understand the composition of their work. Analyze the tasks that make up their operations. This knowledge is crucial for diagnosing where AI creates value.
• Competitive advantage. Companies that don't adopt AI risk falling behind. AI-integrating competitors increase production or lower prices. Pay scales must adjust to attract and retain critical skills.
• Workforce DNA. Businesses must integrate a diverse mix. Fixed employees, flex workers, and AI-assisted digital workers. This bridges skill gaps and adapts to changing needs.
• Reskilling and upskilling employees. The rapid evolution of job requirements demands a proactive approach. Learning and skill development must be engaging and relevant to future demands.
• Corporate social responsibility. With AI, companies face the challenge of avoiding biased decision-making. Especially in hiring, promotions, and managing change. Businesses must actively ensure fairness and integrity. This requires Ethical AI.

For society

• Global cooperation. Like the climate crisis, this is bigger than any one entity. We need collective unity across communities worldwide.
• Education. We must foster collaboration among educational institutions, governments, and industries. Educational goals must realign with emerging career trends.
• Equality and poverty. A universal basic income holds promise. No one should be left behind. But there are important questions about funding. This could be our opportunity to reduce poverty. Or, if ignored, it could create the most inequitable class system of our lifetime.

So what's the plan from here

This blog isn't about handing out all the answers. I'm taking a moment to wrap my head around what is happening. Let's be honest. Even the smartest people have overlooked the most necessary skills we needed to develop. I'm not going to pretend I have all the answers.

But I am here to activate a movement. And solve the problem together.

My ask: Share this with your network. Workforce and business leaders, academics, industry experts, students, people brand new to the workforce or retiring after decades. Let's change the world.

I'll share insights from my journey with Reejig. And from any businesses and organizations ready to help this community find answers.

Here's to a future filled with innovation, equity, and boundless opportunities. We build the way the world works.