Employers want new graduates with AI experience and knowledge!
The vast majority of U.S. experts think students should be prepared to use artificial intelligence once they enter the workforce.
Influenced by feedback from employers, recruiters, and their alumni, some colleges and universities are now offering master’s degrees in Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) as well as undergraduate classes to prepare their students for the demands of the new workforce.
The vast majority of U.S. professionals (83 percent) think students should be prepared to use AI once they enter the workforce and expect higher education to play a significant role in that readiness, according to a nationwide survey of 1,200 professionals. The survey, conducted by Washington State University’s Carson College in partnership with KRC Research, was conducted from Nov. 28 to Dec. 16 and examined awareness and attitudes toward AI education and workforce readiness initiatives.
- Among the key findings:
88 percent think U.S. colleges and universities should provide educational opportunities for students to learn about AI and its practical applications. 74 percent think college graduates should have experience using AI before entering the workforce. More than half (56 percent) of professionals said they currently use AI for tasks such as data analysis and content creation or communications.
Nearly two-thirds of American professionals (65 percent) think the United States would likely become less competitive than other countries if colleges and universities did not provide dedicated education and training in AI technologies.
They also said higher education could do more to prepare students, including educating them about the risks of AI. The top three skills ranked most important for effective and appropriate use of AI are:
- Critical thinking.
- Technical skills.
- Logical thinking.
“AI tools work best when they are used in a collaborative way by capable, thoughtful professionals,” said Debbie Campo, Carson interim dean and the Hubman Distinguished Professor of Information Systems. “Workers need to know how to use the different tools that might support their work, when to use which tools, and when not to trust the tools.”
He told SHRM Online that being aware of AI’s limitations — such as learning to recognize situations where it could give out inaccurate information — is essential.
“It also involves recognizing the ethical questions surrounding the use of AI.” Unconscious biases can be embedded in tools and go undetected, Campo noted. It’s important to consider this when deciding whether AI is appropriate to use in different situations, he said.
Seventy-four percent of senior leaders think AI is likely to drive long-term transformative change that will have a positive impact on work in their industry. Some organizations have already created Chief Artificial Intelligence Officer (CAIO) roles.
“HR managers have been looking for talent with AI knowledge, and organizations across many sectors have recently created CAIO positions — many of them after November 2022, when OpenAI launched ChatGPT,” SHRM Online reported in an article on February 15. It examined whether organizations need CAIOs.
SHRM Online collected the following news articles about the role of higher education in preparing students on how to use artificial intelligence in the workplace.
- Students can now study artificial intelligence
Although many workers see GenAI as a threat to white-collar jobs, younger generations are hoping to create careers around the technology. Get into undergraduate AI engineering programs. The University of Pennsylvania’s School of Engineering and Applied Science announced on February 13 that it will offer a Bachelor of Science in Engineering and Artificial Intelligence next fall, the first undergraduate degree of its kind among Ivy League universities and one of the first AI engineering programs in the United States.
( LinkedIn )
- Looking for workers with AI knowledge? Consider business school graduates
The growing use of GenAI in the workplace is expected to transform many roles and require new skill sets for employees, even as employers say employees lack the necessary training and HR managers predict a GenAI skills gap, according to research recently published by SHRM.
Villanova School of Business (VSB) is one of the higher education institutions that is integrating artificial intelligence into its curriculum to meet the needs of employers. It is one of four schools that Fortune highlighted in 2023 to offer a specialized MBA program in artificial intelligence.
( SHRM Online )
- Higher education plays a big role in preparing graduates for the AI-driven economy
A career development expert shares how higher education institutions should prepare their students for the future of work.
( Zdent )
- Opinion: Preparing students for the AI workforce
Our graduate and certificate students need documented GenAI skills, and they need them now.
- ChatGPT is the most popular tech skill in the workforce, according to learning platform
Udemy, an online learning platform, compiled a Global Workplace Learning Index in which the company analyzes its course consumption to see what skills businesses are most interested in. The index revealed that the top global tech skill for businesses in Q1 2023 was ChatGPT, which saw a 4,419% increase in global consumption from Q4 2022.
( Zdent )
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