AI class is in session, but the room is half empty.
Nearly nine in 10 employers said they offer company-paid upskilling benefits, but estimate that on average only slightly more than half of workers (55%) use them, according to DeVry’s second annual report, “Closing the Gap: Upskilling and Reskilling in an AI Era.”
Companies may be jumping on the AI bandwagon but industries, workers and employers acknowledge there is a yawning gap between saying and doing something in upskilling to the fast-moving technology.
“There is a big question mark about how to use AI, and where to learn it,” DeVry University Chief Executive Elise Awwad said in an interview. “Think about this: 75% of employees think AI is important to their job, but only 49% have access to programs and only 28% of them have their sponsors pay for the programs.”
The report, released Tuesday, details the continual challenge of upskilling and reskilling, as well as a resurgence of lifelong learning among U.S. workers. It surveyed more than 1,500 American workers and hundreds of American employers in June.
“The gap reveals a profound blind spot for employers who may not be prepared to manage the organizational risks that come from widespread, open source AI use,” according to the report. “This also points to a lack of clear standards that employers and workers can use to measure AI proficiency.”
While 55% of men consider their AI skills intermediate or higher, only 41% of women do. What is more, fewer women (79%) think AI skills will have some impact on their employability, compared to men (87%).
What it all adds up to is an extraordinary disconnect between employers and employees over their AI skills, and what is being done to get the workforce up to speed.
Employers believe 32% of their workers are novices at AI, but only 3% of workers agree with that assessment. Indeed, roughly half consider their AI skills to be at least intermediate.
Yet just 58% of employers acknowledge they shoulder more responsibility for upskilling AI skills.
To that end, employers are tackling their workforce skill-building with a mix of training and hiring. Nearly all employers (98%) are providing incentives to spur more AI usage, such as bonuses and awards or recognitions for workers who achieve AI certifications, as well as tuition reimbursement for AI courses. In addition, 73% of employers believe hiring more people with AI skills will benefit their organization.
Other interesting tidbits from the report:
— Three in four (76%) workers agree investing in education will help them advance in their career, and 64% believe alternative credentials are just as valuable as traditional degrees.
— Two-thirds of workers (67%) are open to alternative credentials and lifelong learning to advance their careers.
— 43% of workers who don’t receive upskilling benefits and 46% of workers who don’t receive reskilling benefits feel more tired of their job compared to those who receive and use those benefits (30%).
A partnership between California and Nvidia Corp. would train state workers in fields ranging from agriculture to health care, as well as teachers and students.
