🛠️ Skills and Workforce #30

This week’s global workforce developments spotlight ambitious moves in workforce upskilling across key sectors. IBM is cutting 8,000 HR jobs as AI handles routine tasks, redirecting savings to tech and sales roles. In the US, Pindel’s Forwardskilling℠ enables small manufacturers to share training resources. Honda will invest $110M in Gujarat, adding 1,800 jobs by 2027. The UK is investing $4B to train 120,000 workers in construction and green tech. Malaysia is offering 65,000 free upskilling courses to 5,000,000 ASEAN citizens. Maruti Suzuki is training 4,100 EV technicians annually across 130 ITIs.

Kentucky is investing $9.5M to train 30,600 workers in manufacturing and green sectors. India’s SGSITS launched RISHTA, a training program for students in AI, cybersecurity, and 3D printing. Canada unveiled a 16-week hybrid program offering micro-credentials in lean manufacturing and mechatronics. Nigeria is training 2,000 engineers in AI and chip design. The Philippines is investing $13M to upskill 30,000 IT-BPO workers. Australia’s Connective launched cybersecurity training for brokers. Ghana’s DigiVibe expands digital and entrepreneurial skills for women. In Health, Tennessee awarded $2M to expand rural health training. Georgia is launching a healthcare-focused high school. Queensland is investing $24M to support over 575 GP trainees, enhancing healthcare capacity and access.

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Global Labor Market Trends

💰 IBM Cuts 8,000 Jobs as AI Reshapes Workforce, HR Department Hit Hardest. IBM is laying off around 8,000 employees, primarily from its HR department, as artificial intelligence replaces routine administrative tasks. The company recently deployed AI agents to handle functions like sorting information and responding to employee queries. Despite the cuts, IBM says its overall workforce is growing, with savings redirected to roles in software development, marketing, and sales.

📜 Forwardskilling℠ Initiative Empowers Small Manufacturers Through Shared-Economy Upskilling. Pindel Global Precision's Forwardskilling℠ initiative introduces an innovative, shared-economy model to help small and medium-sized manufacturers upskill their existing workforce. By collaborating with institutions like Milwaukee Area Technical College, the program enables companies to share resources, such as instructors, facilities, and curricula, to provide advanced technical training. This approach aims to make continuous learning more accessible and cost-effective, ensuring workers can adapt to evolving industry demands.

📉 Honda Invests $110M in Gujarat Plant Expansion, to Create 1,800 Jobs. Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India is investing approximately $110M to add a fourth production line at its Vithalapur plant in Gujarat. The expansion will boost capacity by 650,000 units annually, making it Honda’s largest motorcycle assembly plant globally. Set for completion by 2027, the project is expected to create 1,800 jobs and significantly scale up production of 125cc motorcycles.

Green Skills

🏗️ UK Invests $4B in Job Training to Reduce Reliance on Migrants. The UK will invest $4B to create 120,000 training spots in sectors such as construction and green tech, aiming to reduce dependency on migrant labor and address national skills shortages through domestic workforce development.

🌱 Malaysia Offers Free Upskilling to 5M ASEAN Citizens. Malaysia’s National Training Week will provide 65,000 free courses in AI, green tech, and leadership to 5,000,000 ASEAN citizens, positioning the region as a global skills hub through support from top global and local training providers.

🚙 Maruti Suzuki Trains EV Technicians Across 130 Indian ITIs. Maruti Suzuki launched EV and hybrid systems training in 130 Indian ITIs, aiming to equip 4,100 students annually with technical expertise in high-voltage systems, helping meet the growing demand for electric vehicle service professionals.

Advanced Manufacturing Skills

🔧 Kentucky Invests $9.5M to Upskill 30,600 Manufacturing Workers. Kentucky’s Bluegrass State Skills Corp. invested $9.5M in 2025 to train over 30,600+ workers across 115 facilities, including Ford and Steel Technologies. This initiative enhances skills in manufacturing, technology, agribusiness, and renewable energy, strengthening workforce adaptability and fueling economic growth. By supporting industry-specific training, it boosts advanced manufacturing competitiveness and ensures a resilient, skilled workforce ready for future demands statewide.

🏭 SGSITS Launches Industry-Aligned Upskilling Programs under RISHTA Scheme. SGSITS Indore offers training in high-demand fields such as  AI, cybersecurity, data science, and 3D printing under the RISHTA scheme. Partnering with leading companies, the initiative bridges academia and industry by providing hands-on modules, project-based learning, internships, and job opportunities for top students, thereby addressing industry demand for skilled professionals and enhancing workforce readiness in advanced manufacturing.

🤝 Canada Launches Advanced Manufacturing Upskilling Program for Mid-Career Workers. Funded by Upskill Canada and the Government, this 16-week hybrid program offers five micro-credentials including Lean Manufacturing and Mechatronics. Humber Polytechnic offers an integrated program combining technical training, hands-on labs, personalized coaching, and job placement support, preparing mid-career workers with the technical and soft skills needed to succeed in the fast-growing advanced manufacturing sector.

AI & Digital Skills

💻 Nigeria’s National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) partnered with Chipmango. This is to strengthen the country’s semiconductor and AI workforce. The initiative aims to train over 2,000 engineers in chip design, AI, and related technologies, positioning Nigeria as a competitive player in the global tech talent market while building local capacity for future innovation in high-tech industries.

🦾 The Philippine government is channeling $13M into large-scale upskilling programs. This is for the Information Technology and Business Process Outsourcing (IT-BPO) sector. Spearheaded by the DICT, the initiative will train over 30,000 workers in emerging tech skills such as cybersecurity, AI, and data analytics to future-proof the sector and maintain its global competitiveness.

⚛ Connective, a major aggregator in Australia’s mortgage broking sector, has launched a cybersecurity training program. The program will focus on safeguarding brokers and clients from rising digital threats. The initiative equips brokers with critical knowledge to identify and prevent cyberattacks, ensuring data integrity and trust in financial services as digital transformation accelerates.

🤖 Ghana’s DigiVibe Initiative is scaling up to provide more women with digital and entrepreneurial skills. Focused on fostering inclusivity in the tech ecosystem, the program offers training in coding, digital marketing, and leadership, aiming to close gender gaps in the digital economy and support women in creating tech-driven careers and ventures.

Health Skills

⚕️ Tennessee Awards $2M to Chattanooga State to Strengthen Rural Health Training. Chattanooga State is among 20 institutions awarded a share of $36M through the Rural Health Care Pathways Expansion Grant. The $2M grant will expand healthcare, behavioral health, and dental career pathways for rural students to grow Tennessee’s health workforce. 

🏫 Bloomberg Awards Grant to CGTC to Launch Regional Healthcare High School in Georgia. The grant received by Central Georgia Technical College funds the creation of a Regional Healthcare High School in Warner Robins, offering paid internships and college credits in fields like ultrasound, respiratory, and cardiovascular technology, aiming to upskill local students for high-wage healthcare roles. 

💉 Queensland Invests $24M to Support Over 575 Trainee GPs in 2025. Through its $24M General Practice Trainee Incentive Scheme, the Crisafulli Government will provide a one-time $40,000 payment to over 575 early-career doctors beginning GP training in 2025. The initiative aims to boost workforce retention, expand primary care access, and strengthen healthcare delivery.

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