🛠️ Skills and Workforce Futures #13

HolonIQ is now tracking reskilling and upskilling initiatives that are critical in bridging workforce gaps. Impact industries are rapidly evolving, fueled by technological advancements, decarbonization, geopolitical dynamics, and socio-economic factors. These sectors require considerable workforce/professional development initiatives to enhance workers' capabilities, boost economic growth, and promote social well-being. Read on for this week’s insights.

🌎 Global Labor Market Trends

🧑‍💼 The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a $500 million policy-based loan to support the Philippine government. This initiative will expand labor market programs to improve Filipino workers' productivity and employability while increasing women's participation in the workforce, providing better access to livelihood and employment opportunities, and equipping workers for higher-skilled jobs.

🤖 AI creates new winners and losers in the labor market. A new study by the Journal for Economic Behavior and Organization identified that the number of freelance jobs offered in areas where ChatGPT can largely take over has decreased by around 24% compared to jobs where AI is used as a complementary tool or has no impact at all. The decline was particularly strong for short-term jobs of 1–3 weeks and for jobs aimed at freelancers with limited experience. According to the researchers behind the study, this makes sense, as more complex tasks continue to require human involvement.

📈 US adds 256,000 jobs, as Biden leaves Trump with a sturdy labor market. Employers stuck the soft landing in 2024, finishing the year with a bounce of hiring after a quarter filled with disruption. The economy added 256,000 jobs in December, seasonally adjusted, the Labor Department reported on Friday. It was a better-than-expected number amid a labor market that has been slowly cooling for two years. The unemployment rate edged down to 4.1%.

🌿 Green Skills Map 

HolonIQ has launched the Green Skills Map, an open-source framework initiated to catalog, evaluate, and context components of the rapidly expanding field of green jobs. This comprehensive taxonomy will serve as a resource for understanding the full spectrum and complexity of green skills required across various sectors, thereby enabling a cohesive approach toward achieving net zero and decarbonizing the global economy. Green Skills Map spans 11 areas, 54 sub-areas, and 243 green skills clusters. A snippet of the map covering four areas has been included above. Explore the full map on greenskills.org.

🌎 Climate 

🥬 New Greenhouse Propagation Course to Boost Canadian Agricultural Workforce. A new Greenhouse Propagation and Production course, launching in February 2025, will train workers for Canada’s growing agricultural sector. Developed by the Alberni-Clayoquot Regional District, Hupacasath First Nation, and North Island College, the program addresses local labor needs by equipping participants with skills in hydroponics, plant physiology, and sustainable farming. Supported by a provincial grant, the initiative fosters job creation and food security, offering hands-on greenhouse training to unemployed and underemployed community members.

⚒️ San Juan College Launches Uranium Mine Cleanup Training Program. San Juan College’s new Careers Remediating Environmental Waste (CREW) program aims to address abandoned uranium mines in the Four Corners region while creating stable, well-paying jobs. Backed by New Mexico’s workforce and environment departments, the program offers displaced energy workers and others training in mine reclamation. With an estimated 500 abandoned mines, cleanup efforts could generate 2,500 jobs. Companies have committed to interviewing graduates, ensuring pathways to long-term employment.

💼 Colorado Launches Climate Jobs Coalition Amid Federal Policy Shifts. Colorado Climate Jobs, a new labor coalition, aims to create high-quality union jobs and a strong clean energy economy despite federal uncertainty under Trump’s administration. With 77,000 clean-tech jobs statewide, Colorado’s renewable workforce grew 3.9% in 2023. However, federal policy shifts, including tariffs and stalled IRA funding, threaten progress. State leaders remain committed to advancing climate-related job growth while monitoring the impact of new executive orders on green energy initiatives.

📱 Advanced Technology 

🌐 Microsoft South Africa launched an AI skilling initiative to train one million South Africans in digital skills by 2026. The program focuses on AI, cybersecurity, and digital technologies to bridge the critical skills gap highlighted by the World Economic Forum. It offers AI training, certifications, and a free AI Skills Navigator portal. Microsoft partners with educational institutions, governments, and NGOs to ensure industry relevance. The initiative aims to boost youth employment, drive economic growth, and foster innovation across sectors.

💡 Infosys and Siemens AG are expanding their collaboration to enhance Siemens’ digital learning with generative AI. Siemens' My Learning World will integrate Infosys Topaz and Wingspan, providing over 250,000 employees with AI-driven upskilling. Key features include an AI knowledge assistant for instant answers, an AI chatbot for real-time course navigation, and a virtual tutor for summaries, translations, and personalized learning. The platform aims to improve accessibility and efficiency in corporate learning.

🦾 NVIDIA launches its “Cours NVIDIA” initiative aiming to revolutionize AI and VR-driven training. Covering GPU programming, AI, quantum computing, and robotics, the program adapts to learners through AI-driven analytics for a personalized experience. The approach merges cutting-edge technology with hands-on learning, enhancing accessibility and relevance in a rapidly evolving tech landscape. By integrating education with experience, NVIDIA positions itself as both a technology leader and a driving force in educational innovation.

🚀 Space

🧑‍🚀 NASA and Blue Abyss are collaborating to enhance astronaut training, human spaceflight infrastructure, and extreme environment simulations. The partnership focuses on commercial astronaut training, human performance research, and advanced simulation facilities, including underwater modules and AR technologies. NASA will provide technical support, while Blue Abyss conducts a market study outlining a 10-year infrastructure vision. This initiative aims to strengthen the commercial space sector, support US leadership in space exploration, and develop future-ready capabilities for lunar and Martian missions.

🛸 The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) has launched CSTOR, the Center for Space Technology and Operations Research, to foster multidisciplinary collaboration in aerospace research. CSTOR aims to address the growing demand for skilled professionals in Texas. Researchers are working on lunar habitat simulations to support long-term human presence on the Moon, focusing on resilience against extreme conditions like micrometeorites, moonquakes, and lunar dust.

🩺 Health

💉 King County Invests $16.8M to Strengthen Behavioral Health Workforce. Announced by Executive Dow Constantine, the funding includes $12 million for 37 behavioral health agencies and $4.8 million to expand the SEIU Training Fund’s apprenticeship program, which trains behavioral health technicians and substance use disorder professionals.

🏥 Jamaica and the Philippines have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to enhance healthcare workforce development through collaboration. The agreement includes faculty and trainer exchanges, specialized nurse training, certification programs, and capacity building in biotechnology and healthcare management. As part of the initiative, Jamaican healthcare personnel will have opportunities to train in the Philippines, which is recognized for its strong healthcare education and workforce development

🧑‍⚕️ The Albanese Government of Australia is investing $18.4 million in the Aged Care Nursing Clinical Placements Program. The funding will support 8,000 nursing students to develop practical skills in aged care and also aims to strengthen the workforce by providing hands-on training for students in Bachelor of Nursing, Master of Nursing, and Diploma of Nursing programs.

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