How Higher Education and Employers Can Collaborate to Empower an AI-Driven Future

AI has rapidly made its way into the workplace, which means higher ed institutions are responsibile for providing relevant and accurate training to employers and students.

Gaining expertise in artificial intelligence (AI) is crucial for any professional aiming to advance their career and stay relevant in a rapidly evolving, tech-centric business landscape. Similarly, businesses must cultivate a workforce proficient in advanced technologies, including AI, to maintain a competitive edge.   

DeVry recently conducted its second annual report, “Closing the Gap: Upskilling and Reskilling in an AI Era,” based on a survey of U.S. workers and employers, which found that nearly half (49%) of workers rate their AI skills as intermediate or higher. However, 42% of employers say they are not confident that their organization understands how to effectively train workers on AI. These findings suggest that workers are utilizing AI without adequate guidance, potentially leading to business and operational risks and underscoring an immediate need for more comprehensive training to ensure workers can effectively leverage AI in their roles.   

While 58% of employers acknowledge they hold responsibility for upskilling related to AI, initiating training programs can be daunting, especially when navigating the swift emergence of AI and varying employee skills across levels. There is a unique opportunity for higher education institutions to make learning more accessible and relevant for employers and workers wanting to keep pace.   

Creating Accessible and Flexible Learning Pathways  

Lifelong learning is propelling employees’ enthusiasm. They recognize the advantages, with 43% of workers who do not receive upskilling benefits feeling more tired of their job compared to those who do. Workers also understand how AI can positively impact their work by, for example, increasing productivity and advancing their careers.   

With that in mind, while it is encouraging to hear that 56% of workers say they are using AI in the workplace at least weekly, employers report uncertainty about how to most effectively lean in with training to ensure workers use it responsibly and to their benefit. Additionally, 36% of workers reported that, while their employers have provided AI tools, they have not fully explained how to use them. And most employers (72%) admit they don’t extend upskilling benefits to all workers, meaning only a subset of the workers receive the necessary training.   

Moreover, while it is imperative that all workers have the opportunity to enhance their skills, education must be tailored to the individual. Recognizing that professionals juggle multiple personal and professional commitments, it is important that educators provide various educational pathways, including both traditional degrees and short-form courses and certifications for targeted skills. This approach ensures workers have access to a range of learning opportunities, as two thirds (67%) of workers report being open to alternative credentials, considering them equally valuable to traditional degrees for career advancement.   

Creating personalized learning pathways also includes flexibility, which is a fundamental requirement for ensuring ongoing access to education for professionals. Institutions should ensure any professional, no matter their skill set or schedule, can pursue upskilling and reskilling opportunities that evolve in response to their shifting career aspirations, life situations and work experience. Technology also plays an essential role in achieving this goal, with online and hybrid courses allowing for flexible scheduling and pacing.   

By transforming curricula to make them relevant and accessible for today’s modern workforce, higher education can make learning more engaging for working adults. This transformation can include offering virtual learning formats, incorporating interactive features, integrating coursework that involves real-world scenarios and providing options for flexible pacing.   

Collaborating with Business for Talent Pipelining  

Current discussions on AI in academia have centered around professors balancing the challenge of detecting AI-generated plagiarism with the integration of the latest technology in the classroom. The shifting job market, with its focus on AI, necessitates transformation in higher education to produce a skilled workforce. Notably, the survey found that 73% of employers believe that hiring individuals with AI skills will benefit their organizations, and 60% of employers say AI advancement is leaving some employees behind and making their skills outdated.  

Employers are not alone in their quest to properly train their employees. Higher education institutions have a significant and unique opportunity to collaborate with employers to develop essential skills for professionals, including training new professionals before they enter a new career opportunity as well as throughout their career progression.   

To move beyond sporadic training efforts, institutions and businesses should collaborate to continually keep skills-based curricula aligned with changing workforce requirements, including AI. This proactive approach ensures that talent is well prepared for success and that academic institutions meet the labor market’s current demands.   

Working closely with businesses can also facilitate the experiential learning opportunities, internships and mentorship programs academic institutions offer, thereby enriching the educational experience and better preparing workers for real-world technology applications.  

Higher education and businesses are at a pivotal moment that will require more intentional education from both parties. By collaborating, they can create a more qualified, efficient and fulfilled workforce, while companies enhance their competitive advantage in a changing AI-driven landscape.