Harnessing Technology and AI to Build the Workforce of Tomorrow
Embrace technology's role in closing the skills gap. 1Mentor leverages AI for real-time connections between industry needs and students, ensuring a sustainable future of work. Explore the impact of technological disruption and AI's power to empower students, career advisors, teachers, and employers.
With a rapidly evolving workforce, students face a growing skills gap while preparing for the jobs of the future. We could fear or fight the pace of technology, and try to keep students up-to-date on our own. Or, we could embrace where technology is headed and turn it into a tool to help us do better!
We must leverage technology in order to ensure our young people have the right tools and knowledge for success. That’s why our mission at 1Mentor is to use technology, real-time data, and artificial intelligence (AI) to connect industry needs directly with students and higher-education institutions.
This way, everyone can adapt to the changing job market. And we can ensure the future workforce has what it takes to succeed — wherever their journey may take them.
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly of technological disruption
The future of work is here — and it’s moving faster than we ever thought possible. Technology changes every day, opening up new possibilities and creating new challenges. It's hard not to notice how tech has impacted some industries, especially with automation.
Robotics and AI reduced the need for human labor in industries like manufacturing or supply chains. And in healthcare, AI has the potential to improve patient outcomes by 30% to 40% while reducing costs by up to 50%.
Tech has also enabled people from all backgrounds to access online education without breaking the bank, and even communicate faster and further through channels like social media to share ideas and information.
However, when we consider where technology is headed and how quickly, we can overlook our skills. Tech can lower the longevity of many of our skills, impacting career paths that once might have lasted decades. And those jobs that require technical or digital skills now need updated and adapted skills to keep up with new advances!
McKinsey research projects that by 2030, physical tasks in our economy will have fallen by about 27 percent, replaced by more demand for technological and cognitive skills. And the pandemic sped up the trends in skill gaps in remote work, e-commerce, and automation. Up to 25% more workers will need to find a different occupation by 2030 compared to pre-pandemic.
While the composition of skill sets for jobs evolves, the way we are preparing for jobs should evolve too. We must keep up with this pace of change in order to prepare our students for the future of work. What if the force behind the problem could also be the solution?
Technology as the solution
We can embrace the trajectory of technology and turn it into a tool. A resource that allows students and universities to:
- understand the needs of the labor market
- navigate education opportunities
- all while preparing for jobs
AI can be intimidating, but it's empowering when used to help us humans do what we otherwise couldn't do well on our own. In the 1Mentor platform, AI allows us to use huge amounts of data and analyze it in real-time. This means up-to-date recommendations that contribute to the best education for students. And it means we can analyze data from tons of sources such as job postings, industry reports, and social media, much faster than a human can.
Example:
AI can scan through thousands of job postings in a matter of seconds to identify the skills and knowledge currently in-demand in the labor market, while a human would likely take hours or even days to complete the same task.
Plus, AI can complete complex tasks like language translation much faster and more accurately than a human. With technology quickly processing and uncovering insights that would be nearly impossible for a human to identify on their own, we can turn our time and efforts to more human tasks. We can support students' journeys in ways that only us humans can.
Career advisors can provide more support and guidance, with a better understanding of each student.
Faculty can expand the skills they teach and the ways they share knowledge.
Institutions and employers can work better together to provide internships, co-ops, and other opportunities.
And learners can continue to explore and discover their passions, knowing exactly what skills will support them along the way.
AI and technology helps us build a successful workforce
As past learners ourselves, and even as career advisors, we understand the obstacles students face and the dedication that institutions have to preparing for jobs. The foundation for 1Mentor was born when hands-on efforts to bridge the skill gap grew a work placement program by 500%. It takes 1-on-1 knowledge of individual skills and interests to provide the right upskilling recommendations for that kind of success.
That's what makes us passionate about our platform. Technology allows us to uncover that knowledge and provide insights on skills at such a larger scale. It brings the educators and businesses together for easy collaboration. And it connects real industry needs and skill gaps directly to learners and their schools.
This sustainable system helps us ensure the workforce is evolving at the same pace as industry, to develop talented, self-motivated, and career-ready students.
At 1Mentor, we believe using these technologies can only make us better learners, career advisors, teachers, and employers.
Technology and AI help us empower students and universities to use real-time insights and make informed decisions about upskilling. They are the edge we need to identify skills that are currently in demand in the labor market, because they do it faster than a human ever could.
Solutions that leverage where technology is headed, instead of fearing it, are what we need to make sure students are successful and the future of work is sustainable.
