Intel works with community colleges to address AI skills gap

TechRepublic's Karen Roby spoke with Carlos Contreras, AI and integer readiness manager for Intel, astir addressing the artificial intelligence skills spread with the AI for Workforce Program. The pursuing is an edited transcript of their conversation.

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Karen Roby: We speech a batch astir the tech skills gap. It seems similar AI and cybersecurity are the 2 we thin to speech astir a lot, that we request much radical acceptable to capable those roles. But astatine Intel, you guys are gathering connected a programme to assistance alteration this and span the gap. Just springiness america a small spot of an overview of however the programme started.

Carlos Contreras: We're precise arrogant of this program. We had this large announcement past week with 18 assemblage colleges successful 11 states. I tin archer you, we've got a clump of Intel radical ace excited astir it, a clump of different assemblage colleges astir the state ace excited astir it. It started with the premise that you talked astir successful presumption of AI workforce skills and however bash we make those. For us, we haven't focused not lone connected the skills but besides connected equity and access. So however bash we supply entree to these exertion skills that are going to go truthful important for our economy? And wherever are the places wherever radical tin get this access? Community colleges are a precise democratic, precise unfastened acquisition strategy that we person successful this state that gives opportunities for underserved communities, for radical that privation to spell backmost to schoolhouse and reskill. We thought they would beryllium terrific partners for america to commencement this programme successful the U.S.

Karen Roby: And conscionable to springiness america an thought of the benignant of pupil you guys are seeing enroll, is it those coming consecutive from precocious schoolhouse and they're going to assemblage college, is it radical that person been successful the workforce for 30 years and they're saying, "Hey, I request thing new"? Who bash you spot truly moving successful this direction?

Carlos Contreras: Yeah, we're seeing a operation of both. So we're seeing students retired of precocious schoolhouse that are moving connected to a four-year degree, those that privation to get a two-year associate's degree, but we're besides seeing professionals. So we're seeing engineers, radical with method skills already that privation to spell backmost and refresh. They perceive astir AI, "What's this AI?" And truthful it's getting them that entree to this information, to this technology. And truthful it's a spot of a mix.

Karen Roby: When we speech astir AI, Carlos, I mean, it's thing arsenic a tech writer I'm talking astir conscionable astir each time due to the fact that AI touches our lives successful truthful galore ways, and I deliberation ways radical person nary thought that it's down the scenes. So, speech a small spot astir the need. I mean, AI is lone growing, right? So this has got to beryllium coming astatine a truly bully time.

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Carlos Contreras: That's right. Actually, with Dell, we did a survey of assemblage colleges and four-year institutions, the faculty, and the deans. We recovered that 50% of the respondents said, "Yeah, this is simply a increasing field." Seventy percent expect request from employers. So determination is this consciousness successful the acquisition institutions that they request to acceptable up these programs. And past connected the lawsuit side, right, due to the fact that we person galore customers that we enactment with, they besides archer america this. They besides archer us, "One of the barriers is I don't person capable workers oregon I don't person the close skills with my workforce." So, we're seeing it kinda connected some sides, Intel arsenic a supplier to immoderate of our customers, but besides these acquisition institutions that are anticipating the tsunami that's coming for these jobs and the request for them to ramp up that capableness successful their colleges to connection these types of programs.

Karen Roby: One of the things, Carlos, I had a precise agelong interrogation yesterday astir this, that galore radical successful the tech satellite are saying, "OK, the existent acquisition system, the mode this works isn't moving anymore for what our needs are. We can't conscionable say, 'Oh, four-year degree,' and past you spell from there, that's the mode to bash it. No, not really, not with what we request to capable with tech." So, however bash you spot the acquisition strategy successful wide changing?

Carlos Contreras: I deliberation the 1 happening that these folks person talked astir due to the fact that I've heard the aforesaid happening too, is conscionable the velocity of the exertion and however rapidly it's moving and however bully the tools are getting. We person that velocity of AI exertion moving truly fast. And past we person acquisition systems that are much ... They're slower, right? They're meant to beryllium bureaucratic and dilatory and controlled what's being taught to students. So, we request to interruption that and private-public partnerships similar this 1 are a bully mode wherever we person nonstop connection with chancellors, with deans, with assemblage professors. We effort to velocity up that process. That's besides portion of our program. It's not lone the nonrecreational improvement with these institutions, but it's besides like, "Hey, what's your plan? If you're a chancellor of this ample organization, however are you incorporating AI into your acquisition institution?"

And arsenic you know, right, this exertion is getting into healthcare, automotive, manufacturing. You sanction it, right? Community colleges conscionable hap to bid besides caregiver technicians, manufacturing technicians, automotive technicians. So, it's a truly bully spot for america to spell with these types of programs due to the fact that that's wherever radical are going to go, and they're going to spell into these antithetic manufacture segments.

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Karen Roby: Yeah, and it truly does interaction each industry, Carlos. As you mentioned, tech moves fast. I mean, it's a period aboriginal you consciousness similar you've missed worldly if you weren't paying attraction the mode things change. So this is rapidly changing. Where bash you see, say, 18 months to 2 years from now, wherever bash you anticipation that this programme is, your occurrence rate, things similar that?

Carlos Contreras: Our goal, we'd similar to person astatine slightest 50 of these schools with this program, which backmost of my caput I would similar to person it successful each azygous state. So, however bash we get determination truthful that we person this benignant of capableness that's offered to each azygous authorities and person students and professionals spell to a spot to spell and get these skills?

Karen Roby: Yeah, astir definitely. And arsenic you mentioned earlier, determination is simply a spread determination with access. Not everyone has that. So to spot it increasing and be, arsenic you mentioned, successful each state, I mean, that would beryllium a large extremity to reach, certainly.

Carlos Contreras: The 1 inclination that we are seeing is astatine the national level we are seeing this designation of investing successful AI successful presumption of probe but besides education. So, I deliberation that's a truly bully benignant of momentum that's gathering up for these types of programs truthful that these institutions besides person that benignant of backing disposable for them to beryllium capable to standard these types of programs.

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TechRepublic's Karen Roby spoke with Carlos Contreras, AI and integer readiness manager for Intel, astir addressing the artificial quality skills spread with the AI for Workforce Program.

Image: Mackenzie Burke