🛠️ Skills and Workforce #28

This week, Microsoft laid off 3% of its workforce as part of a strategic realignment. New Zealand's tourism and hospitality sectors face a looming workforce crisis that threatens growth plans. In education technology, Chegg is cutting 22% of its workforce, citing AI-driven disruption. The UK government will train over 18,000 retrofit workers, though EPC C targets remain difficult to meet. A West Bengal initiative aims to upskill garage workers for automotive innovation. New training facilities to support green skills have opened in Stornoway. In the US, a new training partnership at the Portsmouth Site aims to prepare youth for local manufacturing careers. EOS  and the US Navy launched an advanced additive manufacturing training program. 

In Turkey, MESS and McKinsey launched the MEXT hub to enhance digital and sustainable skills. Zamfara and Oracle partnered to boost digital skills. The Data Lab launched an AI skills framework to future-proof Scotland. Capgemini and NASSCOM Foundation trained 700 youth in AI and digital skills. Ontario invested $2M in SEIU Healthcare’s WorkerFirst training platform. Jefferson Healthcare and WVU Medicine are expanding initiatives to grow and retain the rural and state-level healthcare workforce. West Virginia is investing in its healthcare workforce to address shortages, focusing on the recruitment, training, and retention of healthcare professionals.

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Global Labor Market Trends

💰 Microsoft lays off about 3% of its workforce. Microsoft carried out its largest cuts since early 2023, eliminating roughly 6,000 roles (3% of its 228,000‑strong workforce) across all levels and geographies, with 1,985 positions—mostly in software engineering and product management—cut in Washington State alone. 

📜 A looming workforce crisis in NZ tourism and hospitality threatens industry growth plans. New Zealand’s tourism and hospitality sectors face a looming workforce crisis as domestic enrolments have plummeted over a decade, increasing reliance on foreign labour, undermining growth ambitions despite marketing investments. 

📉 Chegg to lay off 22% of workforce as AI tools shake up edtech industry. Chegg will cut 248 jobs, 22% of its workforce, close US and Canadian offices, and reduce costs after subscriber and revenue drops, blaming AI tools like ChatGPT and Google’s AI Overviews.

Green Skills

🏠 UK Expands Retrofit Workforce Training. The UK government plans to train over 18,000 retrofit professionals by July 2026 through an $11M investment, aiming to meet energy-efficiency targets. However, achieving EPC C ratings for all homes by 2030 remains challenging.

🔧 West Bengal Upskills Garage Workers. West Bengal's transport department launches an initiative to upskill workers from over 500 registered garages, aiming to train 7,000 individuals in advanced automotive technologies and integrate them into social security schemes.

⚡ Outer Hebrides Opens Green Skills Centre. A new $3M Technology and Innovation Centre in Stornoway offers training in renewable energy, engineering, and construction. The facility supports Scotland's net-zero goals and aims to create up to 1,300 jobs across the islands.

Advanced Manufacturing Skills

🔧 USW 689 and Waverly High School Initiate Pioneering Workforce Training Program. The United Steelworkers Local 689 collaborated with Waverly High School to establish a 12-week training program, equipping 15 high school seniors and recent graduates with Manufacturing Skills Standard Council certifications. This initiative, targeting entry-level manufacturing roles at the Portsmouth Site, fosters skill development, supports reindustrialization, and strengthens the local economy by creating a skilled talent pipeline for regional employers.

🏭 EOS Launches Advanced Training Program to Strengthen US Navy’s Maritime Manufacturing. EOS partnered with the US Navy to enhance manufacturing capabilities within the Maritime Industrial Base. EOS will provide specialized training in Laser Powder Bed Fusion (LPBF) technology at its Novi and MI Additive Minds Academy. This initiative offers complimentary online and hands-on courses designed to equip participants with expertise in advanced AM software and LPBF operations. The program is designed to improve the capabilities of suppliers, thereby reinforcing the Navy's supply chain and ensuring a skilled workforce in additive manufacturing.

🤝 MESS and McKinsey Launch MEXT to Advance Skills and Sustainability in Turkish Manufacturing. The Turkish Employers Association of Metal Industries (MESS), in collaboration with McKinsey & Company, launched MEXT, a 10,000 square meter technology center supporting over 650 companies. This initiative provides member companies with access to more than 170 digital and sustainable use cases, ESG tools, and a global network of industry leaders. As a result, Turkey's manufacturing base will not only align with international standards but also drive innovation, positioning the country as a leader within the advanced manufacturing sector with a highly skilled and future-ready workforce.

AI & Digital Skills

⚡ Zamfara Partners with Oracle to Empower Youth with Digital Skills. The partnership aims to upskill youth, build tech capacity, and integrate digital education into Zamfara’s institutions via ZITDA. Learners will gain free access to training in AI, cloud, data science, and more, positioning Zamfara as an emerging hub for innovation and digital transformation in Nigeria.

⚙️ Scotland Launches New AI Skills Framework to Future-Proof Workforce. The Data Lab introduced a Data and AI Skills Framework to prepare Scotland's workforce for the digital future. Launched at the annual DataFest, the framework supports individuals, educators, and businesses by outlining skill pathways to close AI literacy gaps, promote inclusive growth, and guide targeted upskilling across sectors.

💻 India’s Youth Get Future-Ready with AI Training from Capgemini and Nasscom Foundation. Capgemini and the Nasscom Foundation have trained over 700 underserved youths in AI and digital skills through a 200-hour “AI for Skilling” program in Delhi NCR and Bengaluru. Covering generative AI, robotics, fintech, and soft skills, the initiative is creating real career pathways in tech.

Health Skills

🏥 Ontario Awards $2M to SEIU Healthcare's WorkersFirst Platform to Strengthen Workforce Training. Funded through the Skills Development Fund, this investment supports SEIU’s pioneering tech platform, part of its union-led healthcare training center - an initiative to modernize healthcare worker training, improve staffing, and reduce reliance on costly staffing agencies. 

📃 Jefferson Healthcare Builds Rural Talent Pipeline with Grants and Hands-On Training to Address Workforce Gaps. Backed by over $240K in grants, including from Career Connect Washington and OSPI, the Jefferson Healthcare Workforce Development Program equips students across three Washington districts with healthcare career exposure, certifications, and college credit. 

📚 WVU Medicine Launches Nursing and Workforce Programs to Strengthen West Virginia’s Healthcare Pipeline. With initiatives like a new 21-month hospital-based RN diploma program, the Aspiring Nurse Program, and career advancement support for current staff,  including high school outreach through the MedEd program and tuition-assisted training for surgical techs, the company addresses the healthcare shortage by developing a skilled, homegrown workforce.

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