workplace

Apprenticeship programs are becoming more popular as an alternative to college [Dickler]

On 03/01/2023, in Alternatives, career development, vocational / trades, workplace, by Daniel Christian

Apprenticeship programs are becoming more popular as an alternative to college — from cnbc.com by Jessica Dickler

Key Points

Daniel Swan started as an apprentice and now works full time as an HVAC technician in California.
Apprenticeship programs are becoming more popular as an alternative to college.
Over a decade, the number of registered apprentices rose 64%, according to the latest data from the U.S. Department of Labor.

The Top 10 In-Demand Skills For 2030 [Marr]

On 03/01/2023, in 21st century, business, career development, communications, corporate / business world, creativity, data related items, Emotion, leadership, lifelong learning, skills, web-based collaboration, workplace, by Daniel Christian

The Top 10 In-Demand Skills For 2030 — from forbes.com by Bernard Marr

Excerpt:

Digital Literacy
According to the WEF, more than half of the jobs that we do in 2030 will require an understanding of digital technology. This means that people who are able to effectively use digital tools and platforms to solve problems and create value will be increasingly in demand. I would go as far as saying that those who lack digital literacy will be at a severe disadvantage when it comes to competing for jobs and business opportunities by 2030, whatever career path they decide to follow.

Planning for AGI and beyond — from OpenAI.org by Sam Altman

Excerpt:

There are several things we think are important to do now to prepare for AGI.

First, as we create successively more powerful systems, we want to deploy them and gain experience with operating them in the real world. We believe this is the best way to carefully steward AGI into existence—a gradual transition to a world with AGI is better than a sudden one. We expect powerful AI to make the rate of progress in the world much faster, and we think it’s better to adjust to this incrementally.

A gradual transition gives people, policymakers, and institutions time to understand what’s happening, personally experience the benefits and downsides of these systems, adapt our economy, and to put regulation in place. It also allows for society and AI to co-evolve, and for people collectively to figure out what they want while the stakes are relatively low.

*AGI stands for Artificial General Intelligence

Donald Clark’s recent thoughts regarding how ChatGPT is and will impact the Learning & Development world

On 02/28/2023, in 21st century, 24x7x365 access, adult learning, business, change, corporate / business world, corporate universities / corporate training, ideas, innovation, instructional design, intelligent systems, learning, learning agents, learning ecosystem, Learning Experience Design, Learning from the Living [Class] Room, training / L&D, workplace, by Daniel Christian

Donald Clark’s recent thoughts regarding how ChatGPT is and will impact the Learning & Development world — from linkedin.com by Donald Clark

Excerpts:

Fascinating chat with three people heading up L&D in a major international company. AI has led them to completely re-evaluate their strategy. Key concepts were performance, process and data. What I liked was their focus on that oft-quoted issue of aligning L&D with the business goals – unlike most, they really meant it.

The technology that puts that in the hands of learners has arrived. Performance support will be a teacher or trainer at your fingertips.

We also talked about prompting, the need to see it as ‘CHAT’gpt, an iterative process, where you need to understand how to speak to the tech. It’s a bit like speaking to an alien from space, as it has no comprehension or consciousness but it is still competent and smart. We have put together 100 prompt tips for learning professionals and taking it out on the road soon. All good in the hood.

Also from Donald Clark, see:

OpenAI releases massive wave of innovation — from donaldclarkplanb.blogspot.com

Excerpt:

With LLMs, OpenAI’s ChatGPT, based on GPT 3.5, started a race where:

AI is integrated into mainstream tools like Teams
Larger LLMs are being built
LLMs are changing ‘search’
LLMs are being used on a global scale in real businesses
Real businesses are being built on the back of LLMs
LLMs as part of ensembes of other tools are being researched to solve accuracy, updatability & provenance issues
Open, transparent LLMs (Bloom) are being built

Eliminate a Degree of Difficulty: Hire for Skills, Not School [Lischwe, Noether, Gordian, D’Arcy, & Barfield]

On 02/24/2023, in business, career development, change, corporate / business world, skills, vision/possibilities, workplace, by Daniel Christian

Eliminate a Degree of Difficulty: Hire for Skills, Not School — from bain.com by Joe Lischwe, Alex Noether, Maria Gordian, Andrea D’Arcy, and Jon Barfield; resource via GSV
Too many jobs require college degrees, locking out qualified Black talent. Skills-first hiring helps companies rethink what really matters.

At a Glance

Black Americans are 30% less likely than white Americans to have jobs that pay family-sustaining wages—a key factor in the income and family wealth gaps between Black and white Americans.
One key barrier to Black talent obtaining these jobs is that 70% to 80% require a four-year college degree, which 75% of Black Americans do not have.
Requiring four-year degrees is not the only way to assess talent or identify the best candidates, and skills-first hiring can mitigate this credentials barrier, making the process fairer for all job applicants.
The business case is strong: Skills-first hiring criteria are 5 times more predictive of future job performance than educational background and 2.5 times more predictive than work experience.
While the transition to skills-first hiring—particularly the shift in culture and mindset it entails—is challenging, there are proven steps companies can take to make the switch successfully, as illustrated by the example of companies in the OneTen coalition such as Merck.

What ChatGPT And Generative AI Mean For Your Business? [Press]

On 02/24/2023, in Artificial Intelligence/Agents/LLMs/and Related, business, copyright/ownership/NFTs, corporate / business world, emerging technologies, innovation, legislatures / government / legal, workplace, by Daniel Christian

What ChatGPT And Generative AI Mean For Your Business? — from forbes.com by Gil Press [behind a paywall]

Excerpt:

Challenges abound with deploying AI in general but when it comes to generative AI, businesses face a “labyrinth of problems,” according to Forrester: Generating coherent nonsense; recreating biases; vulnerability to new security challenges and attacks; trust, reliability, copyright and intellectual property issues. “Any fair discussion of the value of adopting generative AI,” says Forrester, “must acknowledge its considerable costs. Training and re-training models takes time and money, and the GPUs required to run these workloads remain expensive.”

As is always the case with the latest and greatest enterprise technologies, tools and techniques, the answer to “what’s to be done?” boils down to one word: Learn. Study what your peers have been doing in recent years with generic AI. A good starting point is the just-published All-in On AI: How Smart Companies Win Big with Artificial Intelligence.

Also relevant/see:

Generative AI is here, along with critical legal implications — from venturebeat.com by Nathaniel Bach, Eric Bergner, and Andrea Del-Carmen Gonzalez

Excerpt:

With that promise comes a number of legal implications. For example, what rights and permissions are implicated when a GAI user creates an expressive work based on inputs involving a celebrity’s name, a brand, artwork, and potentially obscene, defamatory or harassing material? What might the creator do with such a work, and how might such use impact the creator’s own legal rights and the rights of others?

This article considers questions like these and the existing legal frameworks relevant to GAI stakeholders.

7 ways to think and act strategically in your organisation about AI in learning [Clark]

On 02/23/2023, in 21st century, 24x7x365 access, adult learning, business, corporate / business world, corporate universities / corporate training, productivity / tips and tricks, professional development, strategy, training / L&D, workplace, by Daniel Christian

7 ways to think and act strategically in your organisation about AI in learning — from donaldclarkplanb.blogspot.com by Donald Clark

Excerpt:

Above all, you need to see it strategically. There is no imperative to use this tech but there is an imperative to consider its use. Sure, it’s OK to say no but you should have a reason for saying no, as this is the technology of the age. I’ve been saying this in three books, lots of articles and a ton of keynotes for 7 years and it is now happening. This is the new internet, only smarter.

Why Faculty Must Learn to Swim in Other Waters — from insidehighered.com by Rachel Toor, professor of creative writing at Eastern Washington University in Spokane.

Excerpts:

Academics, even with the best intentions, and especially if we’ve never left school, don’t realize that we’re all swimming in our own little pond.

Most faculty members continue to teach how they were taught. We focus on our disciplines. We indoctrinate students into academic conventions and genres. We sling jargon like short-order cooks. We ask students to write 20-page research papers—the likes of which few professions would ever require.

But how often do faculty members require students to create final projects that will help them get a job?

How many professors are adept at writing a one-page job cover letter? Or a one-page résumé?

From DSC:
I appreciate these great thoughts here from Rachel Toor. Besides helping students learn about networking (and actually putting those skills into practice), applying their research skills to finding good job/organization fits, write effective cover letters, etc., I think such real-world skill development needs to be integrated into the very core of what they are teaching. It needs to be integrated into the curriculum.

Instructional Design 2023: Experts Share Top Predictions [Thompson]

On 02/21/2023, in career development, change, corporate / business world, corporate universities / corporate training, future, instructional design, microlearning, skills, training / L&D, trends, vendors, workplace, by Daniel Christian

Instructional Design 2023: Experts Share Top Predictions — from td.org by Jes Thompson

“As technology options continue to increase for IDs, they’ll have a lot to choose from to create useful learning experiences. To prove our worth to the organizations we work for, it will be more important than ever to focus on the solution rather than the technology—especially as layoffs continue in the tech industry. Hopefully we’ll see a greater presence in events and online networks as people try to find new roles. I think we’ll continue to see an influx of educators coming into the profession too. As a field, we’re in a great place to learn from the experience of others and to use technology to find innovative ways to support our learners.”

—Heidi Kirby, Customer Education Manager and Co-Founder, Useful Stuff

“I think we’ll continue to see an influx of educators coming into the profession too.” — which brings me to another article:

Edtech Career Opportunities: 7 Tips To Stand Out At A Job Fair — from teachercareercoach.com

Excerpts (emphasis DSC):

Are you a transitioning teacher looking for an edtech career? If so, you’re in luck! Jeff Patterson, the CEO of Gaggle, hosts virtual Edtech Career Fairs.
…
This is a great chance to learn about the edtech industry and connect with key players. So, grab your pen and paper and get ready to take notes! We’ll be sharing some insight to help you make the most of your experience and stand out from the crowd. Let’s get started!

The Broken Higher Education System: Addressing Stakeholder Needs for a More Adaptive Model — from educationoneducation.substack.com

Excerpt:

Higher education Chief Academic Officers (CAOs) must shift their perspective and strive to increase customer satisfaction to ensure the highest quality of educational products. A recent survey by Higher Education found that only 25% of customers were satisfied with the results higher education provided, contradicting the satisfaction differences of 99% of CAOs. Clearly, a disconnect exists between what higher education leaders deliver and what students, employers, and the changing labor market requirements are. To bridge this gap, higher education must develop products focusing on stakeholder feedback in product design, job requirements, and practical skills development.

From DSC:
So in terms of Design Thinking for reinventing lifelong learning, it seems to me that we need much more collaboration between the existing siloes. That is, we need students, educators, administrators, employers, and other stakeholders at the (re)design table. More experiments and what I call TrimTab Groups are needed.

But I think that the culture of many institutions of traditional higher education will prevent this from occurring. Many in academia shy away from (to put it politely) the world of business (even though they themselves ARE a business). I know, it’s not fair nor does it make sense. But many faculty members lean towards much more noble purposes, while never seeing the mounting gorillas of debt that they’ve heaped upon their students’/graduates’ backs. Those in academia shouldn’t be so quick to see themselves as being so incredibly different from those working in the corporate/business world.

The following quote seems appropriate to place here:

Along the lines of other items in the higher education space, see:

New Data Shows Emergency Pandemic Aid Helped Keep 18 Million Students Enrolled — from forbes.com by Edward Conroy

Excerpt:

The Department of Education (ED) has released new data showing that 18 million students were helped by emergency aid for colleges and universities throughout the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, more than half of which was used to provide emergency grants to students. These funds were provided through three rounds of Higher Education Emergency Relief Funds (HEERF) In total, $76.2 billion was provided, with half of those funds going to support students directly. Unusually for funding in higher education, the money was not heavily means-tested, and was distributed very quickly.

The report indicates that the funds were used for several essential purposes, including student basic needs, keeping staff employed, and helping keep students enrolled. For example, students used funds to cover things like food and housing at a time when employment was drying up for many students, ensuring that the Pandemic did not plunge students who already had limited funds deeper into basic needs insecurity.

Flagships prosper, while regionals suffer — from chronicle.com by Lee Gardner
Competition is getting fierce, and the gap is widening

Excerpts:

Some key numbers are moving in the right direction at the University of Oregon. The flagship institution enrolled 5,338 freshmen in the fall of 2022, its largest entering class ever. First-year enrollment increased 16 percent over 2021, which was also a record year. Meanwhile, Western Oregon University, a regional public institution an hour’s drive north, just outside Salem, lost nearly 7 percent of its enrollment over the same period.
…
In 28 states, flagships have seen enrollment rise between 2010 to 2021, while regionals have trended down, according to a Chronicle analysis of U.S. Education Department data. Across all states, enrollment at 78 public flagships rose 12.3 percent from 2010 to 2021, the most recent year for which data is available. Enrollment at 396 public regional universities slumped more than 4 percent during the same period.

A Chronicle analysis of federal data showed, for example, that in Michigan, a state being hit hard by demographic shifts and with no central higher-ed authority, the flagship University of Michigan at Ann Arbor saw undergraduate enrollment rise 16 percent between 2010 and 2020. Over the same period, it fell at 11 of the state’s 12 other four-year public campuses.

Making Change: How America’s Workforce is Responding to Rising Costs [guildeducation.com]

On 02/21/2023, in adult learning, business, corporate / business world, corporate universities / corporate training, economics, funding / grants, future, reinvent, society, staying relevant, surviving, United States, workplace, by Daniel Christian

Making Change: How America’s Workforce is Responding to Rising Costs — from insights.guildeducation.com

Taken together, the results show an American workforce focused on the long-term. Workers are managing to costs, but more than that, they’re making down payments on their future. This is a workforce motivated more than ever by a path to career growth and economic stability.

What the workforce wants in 2023 -- looking for more education, training, and long-term stability

The future of computer programming in prison – College Inside [West]

On 02/21/2023, in 21st century, adult learning, Amazon, career development, cloud-based computing / apps / other cloud-related, computer science, participation, programming, reinvent, society, sociology, staying relevant, surviving, workplace, by Daniel Christian

The future of computer programming in prison – College Inside; written by Open Campus national reporter Charlotte West.
A biweekly newsletter about the future of postsecondary education in prisons.

Excerpt:

Participant Leonard Bishop hadn’t touched technology in the 17 years he served in the federal system prior to transferring to the D.C. Jail in 2018. When he first got a tablet, he said it took him a few days to figure out how to navigate through it, but then “I couldn’t put it down.”

Bishop said he was surprised by how easy it was to learn the skills he needed to earn the AWS certification. “It helps you transition back into society, especially for someone who has been gone so long,” he said.

Also relevant/see:

This AWS Cloud certification program opens new paths for inmates — from amazon.com; with thanks to Paul Fain for this resource
A jail-based program aims to expand career opportunities through cloud-skills training.

Excerpt:

Julian Blair knew nothing about cloud computing when he became incarcerated in a Washington, D.C. jail more than two years ago.

“I’d never done anything with a computer besides video games, typing papers in college, and downloading music on an iPad,” said Blair.

Now, after three months of work with an educational program led by APDS and Amazon Web Services (AWS) inside the jail, Blair and 10 other residents at the facility have successfully passed the AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner exam.

Digital credentials’ appeal is strong, while corporate upskilling moves at a ‘snail’s pace’ [Ashburn]

On 02/20/2023, in business, career development, colleges, communities of practice, competency-based learning/education, corporate / business world, corporate universities / corporate training, IBM, learning ecosystem, Microsoft, skills, staying relevant, student-related, training / L&D, United States, universities, workplace, by Daniel Christian

Digital credentials’ appeal is strong, while corporate upskilling moves at a ‘snail’s pace’ — from by Elyse Ashburn; with thanks to Paul Fain for this resource
Surveys out this week from IBM and LinkedIn take a closer look at the role of digital credentials and other forms upskilling in education and on the job.

Excerpt:

Interest in upskilling and short-term credentials, either as an alternative or an add-on to college, has grown steadily over the past few years. And a couple of surveys out this week take a closer look at the role digital credentials and other forms upskilling can play in bridging the gap between formal education and work.

A major IBM survey fielded in 13 countries, including the United States, found that almost half of students, job seekers, and career changers are interested in jobs in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM)—but more than 61% think they aren’t qualified because they lack the right degrees.

75% of respondents thought that digital credentials were a good way to supplement traditional education, but only 47% were actually familiar with such credentialing programs.
Among those who’d earned a digital credential, 86% said that it helped them achieve their career goals.

Eight in 10 people surveyed said they planned to upgrade their skills in the next two years—but time, cost, or simply not knowing how to begin were major barriers. Among both students and job seekers, 40% said that they don’t know where to start in developing new professional or technical skills.

Several months’ worth of labor market updates from Handshake’s blog

On 02/20/2023, in Artificial Intelligence/Agents/LLMs/and Related, business, career development, change, computer science, corporate / business world, marketing/social marketing, MBA, skills, society, technology (general), United States, workplace, by Daniel Christian

From DSC:
Below are several months’ worth of labor market updates from Handshake’s blog — with thanks to Paul Fain for this resource.

February 2023 Early Talent Labor Market Update — from joinhandshake.com/blog/
Demand for tech talent outside of coastal states

Key takeaways

Tech hubs no longer? Traditional tech hubs like California and New York are seeing fewer entry-level job openings for technical talent and less interest from students.
A rising tech diaspora: States in other parts of the country, like Iowa (+10.9%) and Maryland (+5.1%), are emerging as locations with more job postings for technical roles—at the same time, students have demonstrated interest in applying to opportunities in those states.
New hubs for tech talent: Students are demonstrating greater openness to a wider array of geographic locations for tech roles with large increases in applications per job in states like Oklahoma (4.8x), Arizona (2.3x), and Oregon (2.7x).

January 2023 Early Talent Labor Market Updates — from joinhandshake.com/blog/
Employers still have strong demand for entry-level technical talent.

Key takeaways
2022 was a difficult year for workers in tech, as the industry was hit hard by hiring freezes and layoffs. Despite an overall slowdown in tech sector hiring, there are several bright spots in the technical labor market that should give early talent reason for optimism.

Tech industry is still investing in (tech) talent
Software and computer tech jobs outside of tech industry
Tech, but not in software

December 2022 Early Talent Labor Market Updates — from joinhandshake.com/blog/
Part-time jobs falling year over year with retail leading the way

Key takeaways

Demand for early talent to fill part-time roles has dropped compared to earlier this year, and part-time jobs saw the largest year-over-year decrease (-32%) in job postings on the platform, when compared to full-time and internships.
Notably employers who are still creating new jobs have been hiring more for full-time roles and internships with job postings per employer up 1% and 7% respectively.
The retail industry, which relies on part-time workers through the holiday season, has seen the greatest year-over-year decrease in part-time job postings that were listed between October and November with a drop of 51%

Why Many Early Childhood Educators Can’t Afford to Retire [Tate Sullivan]

On 02/14/2023, in career development, Emotion, funding / grants, future, workplace, by Daniel Christian

Why Many Early Childhood Educators Can’t Afford to Retire — from edsurge.com by Emily Tate Sullivan

Excerpt:

It’s a bitter contradiction that spans the field: The job is a difficult one to do into old age, yet few who stick with it are able to set aside enough money to enjoy a traditional retirement.
…
For child care providers to come away with even the slimmest of profit margins, they are often already charging families the maximum they can afford to pay, explains Powell. And that’s before providers have built in a buffer to cover an emergency fund, health insurance and retirement savings.

At a certain age, you’re not going to catch up. You won’t own a home. You won’t have retirement savings.

— Anna Powell

“Even by the time they’re in their 50s, they may not be able to start a savings account,” Powell says. “They’re still hitting that ceiling of what parents can afford to pay.”

Learning Ecosystems

Apprenticeship programs are becoming more popular as an alternative to college [Dickler]

Donald Clark’s recent thoughts regarding how ChatGPT is and will impact the Learning & Development world

Eliminate a Degree of Difficulty: Hire for Skills, Not School [Lischwe, Noether, Gordian, D’Arcy, & Barfield]

7 ways to think and act strategically in your organisation about AI in learning [Clark]

Instructional Design 2023: Experts Share Top Predictions [Thompson]

Making Change: How America’s Workforce is Responding to Rising Costs [guildeducation.com]

The future of computer programming in prison – College Inside [West]

Why Many Early Childhood Educators Can’t Afford to Retire [Tate Sullivan]

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