A gap has developed between the rise of AI and employees who are trained for it, according to a survey published last November by an international human resource consulting firm.
The survey, conducted by Randstad, a global talent company based in Amsterdam, Netherlands, found that the growth in AI is far outpacing the training, creating a skills gap. The company helps people find jobs and develop skills across a broad array of industries, including tech.
The survey included the views of working people in Europe, Asia-Pacific and North America, and is based on data from 12,429 respondents in 15 markets, during the month of August 2024. The survey also included secondary research compiled using data from almost 3 million job profiles from September 2023 to September 2024. The gap also manifests in relation to gender and age, Randstad found.
“While 75% of companies are adopting AI, only 35% of talent have received AI training in the last year, 71% of AI-skilled workers are men and just 29% women – a 42% point gender gap, and just one in five Baby Boomers have been offered AI skilling opportunities, compared to almost half of Gen Z workers.”
The generational gap relates to job mobility as well, according to the survey. A third of younger employees with AI training changed jobs last year, and that reflects a higher demand and greater movement in the job market, according to Randstad.
“In contrast, Baby Boomers, along with many Gen X (19%) and Millennial workers (25%), are remaining more static in their careers, increasing the risk of being left behind as AI becomes more integral to future job opportunities. Notably, Gen Z workers are twice as likely (63%) to seek AI learning opportunities outside the workplace compared to Baby Boomers (27%). Moreover, only 34% of Baby Boomers believe AI can make their work easier, compared to 63% of Gen Z, 58% of Millennials, and 44% of Gen X.”
Sander van’t Noordende, CEO of Randstad, said “Talent scarcity is a significant global challenge, and so equitable access to skilling, resources and opportunities needs to be a fundamental part of addressing this. However, when it comes to AI, demand continues to grow at an unprecedented rate, and so does the AI equity gap it is creating. Unless we recognize and take active steps to address this, the pool of workers who are prepared for the future of work will be too small – creating even more shortages across industries.”
A recent study by the International Monetary Firm reveals that approximately 40% of the global job market is exposed to AI, from routine tasks to high-skilled jobs. In advanced economies, such as the U.S. and throughout Europe, the exposure is higher, as much as 60% of jobs.
While AI systems are evolving at a rapid pace, capable of designing drugs, generating code and writing essays, the workforce needed to guide and manage these technologies is lagging. The skills gap is akin to building a building a rocket ship but not getting around to training the astronauts.
“Artificial Intelligence brings the promise of greater productivity and efficiency — but only if its benefits are distributed equitably,” according to the IMF. “While demand for AI skills is skyrocketing, an AI skills gap is also taking hold, with a stark divide in access to AI training and opportunities emerging.”
AI and Machine Learning Specialists top the list of fast-growing jobs, followed by Sustainability Specialists, Business Intelligence Analysts and Information Security Analysts, according to the World Economic Forum. Other jobs in high demand are Renewable Energy Engineers, Solar Energy Installation and System Engineers. By contrast, the fastest declining roles are “clerical or secretarial roles, with Bank Tellers and Related Clerks, Postal Service Clerks, Cashiers and Ticket Clerks and Data Entry Clerks.”
Randstad suggests that companies should “adopt faster, more inclusive skilling approaches to ensure that all demographics can keep up with the rapidly evolving AI technologies.” Additionally, “Companies must also critically assess both the potential and limitations of AI, addressing biases and ensuring that talent is well-prepared to use the technology efficiently.”
