An AI-Enabled ICT Workforce Consortium–led by Cisco with industry leaders Accenture, Eightfold, Google, IBM, Indeed, Intel, Microsoft and SAP, along with key advisors–released its inaugural report, The Transformational Opportunity of AI on ICT Jobs.
The initiative and resulting report seek to empower workers to reskill and upskill with recommendations underscored by today’s evolving job requirements. With the introduction of technology and tools such as ChatGPT, Gemini, Midjourney and further emergence of AI tools, workers must prepare for digital work environments increasingly adept at mimicking human capabilities. According to a recent World Economic Forum study, 58 percent of surveyed employees believe their job skills will change significantly in the next five years due to AI and big data.
“The influence of AI on the workforce is increasing at a rapid pace, and the Consortium’s dedication to developing AI-related skills for ICT jobs highlights its commitment to empowering all employees,” says Smangele Nkosi, General Manager of Cisco South Africa. “This is why global leaders in the ICT Workforce Consortium have united, taking on the shared responsibility to train and upskill 95 million people over the next decade. By committing to a long-term plan for an inclusive workforce, we can ensure that everyone has the opportunity to participate and succeed in the AI-driven future.”
Key Findings: Every Job Becomes an AI-Influenced Job
Key findings from the report offer a holistic view of the impact of AI on ICT jobs, empowering workers and employers to embrace the AI-driven future of work:
· 92 percent of ICT jobs analysed are expected to undergo either high or moderate transformation due to advancements in AI.
· Entry-level and mid-level ICT professionals are at the forefront of AI transformation with 40 percent of mid-level positions and 37 percent of entry level positions expected to have high levels of transformation.
· As AI continues to redefine job functions, certain skills will rise in importance (such as AI ethics, responsible AI, prompt engineering, AI literacy, Large Language Models [LLM] architecture and agile methodologies), while others may become less relevant (traditional data management, content creation, documentation maintenance, basic programming and languages, and research information).
· Foundational skills are needed across ICT job roles for AI preparedness, including AI literacy, data analytics and prompt engineering.
Actionable Insights for Workers and Employers
The Consortium report provides a thorough examination of AI’s impact on 47 information and communication technology roles across seven job families via a Job Transformation Canvas. The roles were selected based upon the highest volume of job postings for the period of February 2023-2024 in the U.S. and Europe, according to Indeed Hiring Lab. Taking a skills-based approach, the Job Transformation Canvas describes each role inclusive of a job description, principal tasks and corresponding skills.
The Job Transformation Canvas goes further to outline how AI will influence each role and identify future skills required, skills made less relevant by AI as well as those complemented by it. Workers can use the Job Transformation Canvas as a training companion as they ready for an AI-fuelled job market. Employers can leverage the report as a training development guide to cultivate and enable their AI-ready workforces.
Our Commitment to Training
The report complements the Consortium members’ commitment to building an inclusive workforce with family-sustaining and economy-developing opportunities. Consortium members have committed to developing worker pathways particularly in job sectors that will increasingly integrate AI technology. To that end, Consortium members have established forward-thinking goals with skills development and training opportunities to positively impact over 95 million individuals around the world over the next 10 years. Consortium member goals include:
· Cisco to train 25 million people with cybersecurity and digital skills by 2032.
· IBM to skill 30 million individuals by 2030 in digital skills, including 2 million in AI by the end of 2026.
· Intel to empower more than 30 million people with AI skills for current and future jobs by 2030.
· Microsoft committed to training and certifying 10 million people in digital skills by 2025, surpassing this goal by training and certifying 12.6 million people a year ahead of schedule.
· SAP to upskill two million people worldwide by 2025.
· Google has recently announced over $130 million in funding to support AI training and skills for people across the US, Europe, Africa, Latin America and APAC.
Cisco’s commitment to upskilling professionals dates back to 1997, with the launch of Cisco Networking Academy, which supports Cisco’s purpose of powering an inclusive future for all. As one of the world’s longest-standing IT skills-to-jobs programs, the Networking Academy partners with learning institutions worldwide to empower professionals and students, fostering a future-ready workforce. Since its inception, Cisco Networking Academy has reached 17.5 million learners in 190 countries, equipping over 411 000 South Africans with digital skills.
