AI
60 %
Employers citing skills gaps as barrier to digital transformation strategies
77 %
US organisations negatively impacted by IT skills gap
A ManpowerGroup survey of more than 40,000 employers found that 74 % struggle to find skilled talent, with 60 % citing skills gaps as a barrierto digital strategies.
“ Whether you’ re leading a company or just graduating, everyone needs to build new skills for the AI era,” says Arvind Krishna, CEO of IBM.“ IBM and Pearson are bringing AI-powered education to more organisations to help people learn faster.”
The approach mirrors Pearson’ s existing work in human certification, applying assessment methodologies to AI systems. This would give organisations greater confidence when deploying autonomous agents across operations.
Upskilling trumps degrees as hiring priorities shift The agreement forms part of Pearson’ s strategy to work with select partners on joint products and market initiatives. The learning tools will launch globally, targeting organisations addressing skills gaps as AI transforms job roles and requirements. The platform aims to integrate learning into daily work patterns rather than positioning it as a separate activity.
Research from training platform Revature shows that 77 % of US organisations have been negatively impacted by the IT skills gap, with 56 % making upskilling or reskilling their biggest priority. The survey found that 29 % of respondents ranked AI, Gen AI and machine learning as the most important capabilities out of seven skills assessed.
A separate study by freelance platform Upwork found that 80 % of executives now prioritise skills over degrees when hiring, with half planning to increase freelance hiring to address gaps in AI capabilities. The platform aims to integrate earning into daily work patterns rather than positioning it as a separate activity.
“ Technology is evolving faster than human skills can keep pace,” Omar says.“ To close this gap, learning must be embedded seamlessly into the flow of work. When people learn where work happens, it has an immediate impact on productivity and performance.”
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