DeVry recently hosted a CEO Roundtable where AI thought leaders, a research expert, and DeVry’s CEO and Chief Administrative Officer met to discuss the impact of AI on the workforce and key actions for employee development in AI. 

The discussion was fueled by a DeVry University study, Closing the Gap: Upskilling and Reskilling in an AI Era. The report, conducted with Reputation Leaders, surveyed over 1,500 employees and 580 decision makers across a variety of sectors to uncover gaps and opportunities for upskilling regarding AI. 

According to Maureen Cahill, Senior Managing Partner at McLean & Company, successful AI adoption across companies is inconsistent, but there are some notable actions that differentiate organizations with successful AI adoption from the less successful. Cahill states, “Those who are doing it well are talking to their workforce and they are saying ‘How are you using AI? We know you are using it.’” Cahill expands upon how the leading organizations are getting their arms around successful AI adoption, “There is a combination of setting organizational objectives and structure around the use of AI by tapping into the workforce to get practical, real examples, of how AI is being used.” Furthermore, “the companies who are making the biggest strides have an executive team and HR leadership team that supports the attempts and failures and learns from them how AI can be used effectively in an organization.” 

One thing all CEO Roundtable participants agreed on was the fact that organizations need to invest in AI, even if the true value hasn’t been fully revealed, yet. DeVry University’s CEO, Elise Awwad comments, “You’ve got to invest. Even if the benefits are still emerging.” However, for the organizations that are investing in and upskilling their teams in AI, Awwad shares there is still a call to action for employees and employers, “We are still seeing that many in the workforce are not participating in these upskilling opportunities.” 

As the conversation shifted to how organizations can maintain a competitive advantage by adopting and enhancing AI capabilities, the conversation shifted to how organizations can enhance AI capabilities, by buying talent or building talent internally. According to DeVry University’s Chief Administrative Officer, Dave Barnett, “We can go to the markets and buy talent. We can look for brilliant students coming out of school, we can look for folks who are performing those roles inside organizations today. Or we can invest and build the talent within our walls.”

Barnett adds, “AI skills aren’t discreet. There are several skills that are unique to AI, but the impact that we’re seeing on AI are durable skills, the transferable skills, the critical thinking skills, the communication skills.”

The mention of durable skills in relation to AI lead to a robust dialogue around the gender divide. Awwad unpacks, “You've got men who are over indexing on the need to upskill on AI, and you've got women who think durable skills and critical thinking are more important.” Awwad expands upon the gender divide in AI to a broader look at equity in upskilling, “Nearly nine in 10 employers say they offer company paid upskilling benefits, but [the research] estimates only a little more than half of the workforce, 55%, use those benefits. As AI continues to shape the future of work, the question becomes, how do you maintain equitable access to upskilling opportunities? The challenge will lie in making sure that everyone, regardless of their role, their background, gender, existing skill set, has the opportunity to learn, grow and contribute.”

Awwad states, “If you want people to learn, give them the space to do so. Here at DeVryWorks, we partner with leading organizations to promote more equitable paths to higher education to pursue learning in the areas of technology and beyond. If you or your organizations is interested in what this journey could look like, please be in touch.”