Corporate Learning and Development News
Employees who complete five hours of AI-related training are 12 percentage points more likely to become regular users, according to a new report from Chief Learning Officer.
72% of hiring managers say that their organization is using AI tools, but more than half say their company doesn’t have the resources to offer staff meaningful AI training, according to a new report. Three-quarters of decision-makers at these organizations agree that AI training for workers is necessary for organizational success. [HR Dive]
Drexel University research reveals that while AI drives daily decision-making at more than half of American companies, only 38% of organizations believe that their workers are equipped to use it. At the same time, roughly two-thirds of organizations expressed discomfort with the idea of job seekers using AI for tasks like resume writing or researching salary ranges. [The Conversation]
Apprenticeships and Skills-First Talent Management
Apprenticeships offer a potential solution to chronic skills and labor shortages, but only if they are combined with competency-based techniques that reward skills acquisition over hours of instruction, argues executive vice president and COO at the Competency-Based Education Network (C-BEN) Lisa McIntyre-Hite. McIntyre-Hite writes in Governing that collaboration with employers in developing competency-based apprenticeship programs can create a more effective and fast-moving apprenticeship system.
Future of Work and General HR News
More than 60% of U.S. companies plan to hire in the next year, according to a ZipRecruiter report, marking a potential crack in the current hiring freeze across the job market. Additionally, 76% of employers named “employee retention” as a key priority in the next year. [HR Dive]
Consumer confidence in the job market seems to be declining. The number of consumers expecting fewer job openings in the next six months rose in September to 27.5% from 25.7% in September, a six month high, according to the Conference Board. [Reuters]
Partnerships, Investments, and Company Innovation
Pearson announced a partnership with the Center for Energy Workforce Development (CEWD) to expand career-connected learning opportunities into the energy sector. As part of the initiative, students will access the “Energy Industry Fundamentals 2.0” virtual curriculum and can earn an industry-recognized credential. With the U.S. energy industry expected to hire millions of new and replacement workers, this collaboration aims to meet that anticipated demand as AI, growing energy consumption, and on-shoring drive shifts in skills demand.
The University of Idaho is partnering with Google to give students no-cost access to the company’s AI tools and training through its new Google AI for Education Accelerator. Aiming to boost career readiness, the partnership connects Idaho learners with Gemini, Google’s AI training, and Google Career Certificates for skills in in-demand fields including cybersecurity, data analytics, and IT.
Macroeconomic Trends and Public Policy
The U.S. is failing to sustain its workforce as recent college graduates struggle to find jobs due to AI disruptions and companies face increasing pressure to increase productivity and reduce costs. To fix this, companies will need to explore new strategies for developing talent like apprenticeships, says RiseNow founder and CEO Matt Stewart in The Washington Times. Apprenticeships not only fill today’s talent and skill needs but also adapt to technological changes and economic volatility. According to Stewart, policymakers will also play a critical role in developing an incentive system to encourage these shifts in companies’ current talent strategies.
Private sector employers added an average of 14,250 jobs per week from mid-September to mid-October, according to preliminary data from ADP. The increase suggests monthly job growth totaled around 55,000 for the four-week period, compared with a loss of 32,000 reported for September in the National Employment Report. In the absence of employment data created by the government shutdown, ADP has also committed to providing a four-week moving average of private employment numbers. [CNBC]
Other
A Gallup survey reported that 69% of U.S. adults believe it’s important for businesses to promote diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), down from 78% in 2022 and the lowest level since tracking the issue began that year. In 2025, DEI and other corporate responsibility initiatives, messaging, and compliance remain highly scrutinized amid federal challenges, and HR leaders are instead being advised to focus on measuring outcomes from DEI, like retention, engagement, and productivity. [HR Dive]