💼 Less Workforce Training in the US. Japan's AI Skill Migration. Advanced Manufacturing in China

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SMART Technologies integrates AI Assist into its Lumio learning platform, enhancing student engagement and teacher support. Microsoft, Vodacom, and partners are offering data-free digital skills courses in Gauteng. The US State Department has lifted a freeze on federal funding for study abroad programs.

Essex Tech awarded clean energy training grant. Serrala, Hg Foundation & Rotary Club partner to upskill disadvantaged young women in generative AI. A $5M training center was opened in South Carolina for nurses offering close real life simulation training for healthcare workers.

Today's Topics

💼 Workforce. >20% fall in training hours in midsize US companies
🤖 AI. Japan reverses its trend of AI talent outflow
🏭 Advanced Manufacturing. 45% of advanced manufacturing from China

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💼 >20% fall in training hours in midsize US companies

US midsize companies’ training hours fluctuated over the past decade, rebounding in 2022 due to pandemic-driven upskilling. The hours declined to 53 hours in 2024 amid economic pressures. Federal policies like WIOA and Wagner-Peyser Act modernization supported employer-led training, while AI-driven platforms addressed skill gaps. However, funding instability and reliance on state initiatives, such as Massachusetts’ Workforce Training Fund, led to uneven progress, reflecting tensions between workforce goals and economic constraints.

🤖 Japan Reverses Its Trend of AI Talent Outflow

Japan’s AI talent migration shifted from a net outflow of -0.26 per 10,000 members in 2019 to a peak inflow of 0.70 in 2020 before stabilizing between 2021 and 2023. This aligns with Japan’s AI Strategy 2022, which aims to train 250,000 AI professionals annually, alongside policies like the Highly Skilled Professional Visa, strengthening the AI workforce and positioning Japan as a competitive AI hub.

🏭 45% of Advanced Manufacturing in China

In 2023, China led advanced manufacturing with 45% of firms, ahead of the US and the EU with 17% and 10%, respectively. This dominance is supported by policies like Made in China 2025 and the National Vocational Education Reform Plan, which focuses on upskilling. The CHIPS Act in the US and EU Industrial Strategy similarly boost workforce development, highlighting global efforts to strengthen advanced manufacturing talent.

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