With artificial intelligence (AI) technology poised to revolutionize business, employee reskilling and company-paid training programs are a priority for many Canadian employers.

Whether formal education or job-specific skills training, education is a challenge for multiple demographics in the Canadian workforce. While 8% of all workers in a recent Indeed study listed education as a workplace barrier, 21% of Gen Z respondents and 20% of newcomers to the country said education is a career barrier. Yet, this educational challenge is also an opportunity for employers.

Targeted job training programs can help develop the competencies employers need to take advantage of the AI revolution while assisting employees to develop skills that can take their careers in exciting new directions.

Develop future skills with paid training programs

AI is taking the world by storm. A recent survey commissioned by Indeed found that a staggering 8% of Canadian HR and talent acquisition leaders reported that their teams are not currently utilizing AI tools. With the arrival of AI, businesses must have the talent they need to excel in the changing work environment.

However, including AI in business processes creates and exacerbates two critical skill gaps. The first gap is between the need and availability of skilled technology workers who can design, implement, and optimize AI systems to work within a unique business environment. These workers have role titles such as Machine Learning Engineer, AI Engineer, AI Researcher, and Data Scientist. Demand for individuals with AI-focused skill sets is high and continues to rise, which makes recruiting this business-critical talent increasingly challenging.

AI is changing how we work and the required skills to effectively perform jobs, leading to the second skills gap. Companies are integrating generative AI and automation technologies into various company processes, including business administration, supply chain management, customer service, HR, and recruiting. AI promises to augment the workforce by automating repetitive tasks, freeing workers to concentrate on more valuable responsibilities while driving productivity. However, to make this vision a reality, employees require the skills to effectively engage with these high-tech tools, including analytical and critical thinking, creativity, and flexibility.

According to the World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report 2023, six in ten workers will need training or retraining before 2027 to keep up with the changing demand for skills. Closer to home, one study found that 42% of Canadian executives believe the Canadian workforce will need to reskill as businesses adopt generative AI, and at least one in three organizations are already reskilling employees to work with AI and automation software. Moving forward, employers should consider company-paid training programs to help build the skills they and their employees will need in the coming years.

Address the AI skills gap with job training programs

Does your organization have strong enough competencies to face the AI transformation? It can be more efficient for an employer to train and reskill current employees to meet future needs than to rely on recruiting, even for many niche AI skill sets. However, only one in four business leaders can identify the skills they’ll need in the future, meaning HR has an opportunity to provide a vision for how the organization can reskill to face the future of work.

You might consider the following three steps:

  1. Understand your needs with a gap analysis. While there are many ways to track skills within a business, such as a skills inventory, having a process to identify and address organizational skills gaps is especially important in the age of AI. Assess your current workforce’s skills, evaluate the positions most likely affected by generative AI and automation tools, and identify your needed skills.
  2. Prepare an action plan. Using the results of your gap analysis, create an action plan based on your predicted headcount, restructuring plans, and the competencies your employee groups will need in the coming months and years. Some employees may not appear to be skills fit for roles in transition, but even adjacent abilities can form an excellent starting point for reskilling and job training. At this point, getting buy-in and support from middle managers, who can offer support throughout the reskilling process, can also be essential.
  3. Support employees throughout their journey. Workers have mixed feelings about AI, and many are understandably concerned about the potential impacts on their jobs and livelihoods. Recognizing their concerns and showing how skills training can support their immediate role and open paths to future career growth is important. One approach is to use a company-sponsored career development planning process to help employees identify current and necessary skills and connect reskilling opportunities to their long-term career goals. If the budget allows, paid training opportunities with travel to city centres like Toronto or Vancouver can also help build enthusiasm.

Train for impending needs

HR can be critical in the coming AI business transformation. With a reskilling strategy and AI-focused job training program, you can align the business with the talent to remain competitive and help employees excel in their future work.