📱 AI and Digital Skills #20
HolonIQ is tracking reskilling and upskilling efforts to meet the rising demand for AI, machine learning, and cybersecurity skills. As these fields evolve, continuous learning is key to staying competitive and building a future-ready workforce.
This week, Amazon committed $13B to strengthen Australia’s AI and cloud ecosystem, while Singapore signed a 10-year MOU with RTX to drive aerospace innovation and talent development. Nigeria is expanding its 3MTT program with AI mentorship and training platforms. The industry spearheads the creation of foundational models, greatly surpassing the combined contributions of the government and academia.Upskilling efforts surge in the UK, as a coalition of tech giants aims to train 7.5 million workers in AI by 2030. South Africa’s Telkom Foundation will upskill 100,000 youths in AI and cybersecurity, including 50 scholarships in Microsoft certifications. Meanwhile, Acorn raised $12.3M for Capabilities AI, a tool that streamlines workforce planning and boosts employee engagement through personalized development plans.
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AI and Digital Labor Market Trends
💻 Amazon to Invest $13B in Australia’s AI & Cloud Future, marking the largest-ever tech investment by a global firm in the country. The move will boost AI capacity, cloud infrastructure, renewable energy, and digital skills. With strong backing from the Australian government, Australia is positioned as a rising AI and cloud innovation powerhouse in the Asia-Pacific region.
🏬 Singapore and RTX Ink 10-Year MOU for AI, Aerospace & Talent Development. This landmark deal cements Singapore’s role as RTX’s Asia-Pacific aviation hub, reinforcing a decades-long partnership. Key focuses include skills development, MRO innovation, and AI-enabled manufacturing, leveraging initiatives like the Singapore Technology Accelerator to push industry performance forward.
🚀 Nigeria Expands 3MTT with DSN & WESOnline to Train Digital Talent. Nigeria's 3 Million Technical Talent (3MTT) programme is partnering with Data Science Nigeria (DSN) and WESOnline to enhance digital workforce readiness. The initiative delivers AI-powered mentorship, training, and job simulations through a new platform, aiming to connect learners with local and diaspora experts.
Industry Outpaced Government and Academic Collaborations in Creating Foundation Models
🔥 In 2023, the industry released ~72% of all 149 foundation models, dwarfing academia, with government and collaborations contributing far fewer.
⚙️ In the same year, Amazon's $4B investment in Anthropic (developer of models like Claude) reinforced big tech's crucial role and cloud dominance in generative AI.
🌐 A new Transparency Index revealed significant transparency issues in top AI models. Models such as Meta's LLaMa 2 (54%) and OpenAI's GPT-4 (48%) scored poorly, indicating significant issues with data disclosure, compute usage, and governance.
Upskilling/Reskilling Intiatives
🤖 UK & Tech Giants Launch AI Skills Plan for 7.5M Workers. The UK Government has teamed up with Amazon, Google, Microsoft, IBM, BT, Salesforce, and others to train 7.5 million workers in AI by 2030, unveiled at London Tech Week. Aimed at preparing a fifth of the workforce, the plan includes both basic AI literacy and specialist skills, part of a broader "Plan for Change" to boost economic growth and job readiness across the country.
🌐 Telkom Foundation to Train 100,000 Youth in AI & Cybersecurity. In partnership with Microsoft and Netcampus Group, Telkom Foundation is launching a major initiative to upskill 100,000 South Africans in AI and cybersecurity via its TelkomLearn platform. Additional perks include 50 scholarships for Microsoft certification and 210 ICT learnerships with real-world placements.
💡 Acorn Raises $12.3M to Transform Workforce Development with AI. Their latest tool, Capabilities AI, auto-generates personalized development plans by aligning job roles with strategic capabilities, cutting months of HR work to minutes. Amid widespread dissatisfaction with traditional performance reviews, Acorn aims to boost engagement by unifying learning and performance.
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