Corporate Learning and Development News
While 82% of executives use AI at work, only 35% of individual contributors employ it, according to a recent survey of professionals across the US and Europe. Between 84-90% of executives and managers surveyed believe they will need new skills as a result of AI adoption, but only 67% of individual contributors feel they need to upskill. [HR Dive]
More than 75% of workers say AI enables them to supplement their current skills and “perform tasks previously out of reach,” but about the same number say it has changed or will change the skills associated with their roles, according to a new Adecco report.
Apprenticeships and Skills-First Talent Management
California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced $25 million in grants for 88 apprenticeship programs across the skilled trades on Monday. The funding comes through California’s Employment Training Panel (ETP) which provides funding to employers to upskill workers for long-term jobs. It is estimated that the funding will help train over 20,000 workers across California.
Employers increasingly seek out new hires who have real-world experience alongside their degree. Work-based learning, which includes internships, apprenticeships, and project-based experiences, is critical in bridging the gap between education and employment, argues Riipen co-founder Dana Stephenson in University Business, and that makes understanding the differences between models crucial. Read Dana’s guide to work-based learning in University Business here.
Future of Work and General HR News
Only about 40% of American workers have quality jobs, according to a new survey of over 18,000 workers released by Gallup, Jobs for the Future, the Families and Workers Fund, and the W.E. Upjohn Institute. The American Job Quality Study, the first ever nationally-representative effort to quantify job quality across sectors in the US economy, found that 62% of workers lack predictable schedules, and 29% are “just getting by” or “finding it difficult to get by” financially. It also found lower levels of health and happiness among those holding a “low quality” job. [Fortune, subscription model]
With the creation of Workforce Pell grants, states now face the challenge of ensuring that short-term workforce programs meet employer needs and rigorous new federal eligibility criteria. Amber Garrison Duncan, executive vice president and chief operating officer of the Competency-Based Education Network (C-BEN), and Nathaniel Rankin, director of the Alabama Governor’s Office of Education and Workforce Statistics, argue that states can look to Alabama for guidance. The state has formed a comprehensive, data-driven system built on a public-private partnership connecting employers, jobseekers, and training providers in a “skills-based talent marketplace.” The key to Alabama's innovative approach was working backward to find the specific skills that employers are seeking. [Community College Daily]
Partnerships, Investments, and Company Innovation
Amazon is reportedly planning to shift its hiring strategy to replace more than half a million jobs with robots. Executives hope automation would allow the company to avoid adding 600,000 employees to its U.S. workforce in the coming years, despite expectations to sell twice as many products by 2033. Amazon’s robotics team has an ultimate goal to automate 75 percent of its operations, potentially creating major disruptions for blue collar jobs in the coming years. [The New York Times, subscription model]
Google is partnering with Miami-Dade County Public Schools and Miami Dade College to develop and pilot Google’s Gemini initiative for K-12 students and teachers and support workforce preparedness through college. The goal is to help students and teachers use AI more efficiently and effectively with personalized lessons and academic support. At Miami Dade College, Google is providing AI training and access to industry-recognized career certificates to build a national AI talent pipeline.
Macroeconomic Trends and Public Policy
HR leaders at U.S. healthcare systems are facing mounting pressure as they navigate workforce planning amidst recent federal funding cuts, including anticipated cuts to Medicare and Medicaid set to take effect in January 2026 and the $1.8 billion in NIH research funding cancelled earlier this spring. While some large institutions like Boston Children’s Hospital haven’t yet laid off staff, they’re actively employing strategic hiring freezes and data-driven workforce planning to prepare for fiscal headwinds. Others are considering AI and other innovations to increase productivity in a financially sustainable way. [HR Brew]
As the U.S. government shutdown continues, federal workers, programs, and the economy have experienced major disruptions. The Congressional Budget Office estimated that about 750,000 federal employees would be furloughed each day during the shutdown, all expected to be paid on a retroactive basis. The administration has also fired thousands of federal workers, with some estimating a final total of more than 10,000. Economists also expect the shutdown to reduce economic growth by 0.1 to 0.2 percentage points per week, including losses of nearly $1 billion per week for the travel economy. [Associated Press]
Other
A new survey has found that younger generations are increasingly turning to non-traditional sources to learn about their benefits. Nearly 40% of Gen Z employees surveyed are looking to social media platforms, including TikTok, Instagram, Reddit, and YouTube, to understand their benefits. A little less than one third of millennials are turning to AI. [HR Dive]
This edition was written by Zoe Almeida and Annie Han and edited by Julia Pasette-Seamon and Erica Price Burns.
