Preparing AI Compatibility: A Collaborative Approach for Educational Institutions and Industries
In the swift transformation of workplaces due to cutting-edge technologies, it's no surprise that business leaders grumble, "We can't find workers skilled enough in digital capabilities." However, it's high time to flip the script and ask these leaders across various industries, "What measures are you taking to ensure schools are well-equipped to teach the necessary skills?" AI is redefining business practices across sectors, and it's crucial that educators and business leaders work hand-in-hand to create a workforce that can keep up with the times. Here, members of the esteemed Forbes Technology Council provide insight into practical ways schools and businesses can collaborate to ensure the next generation is ready for an AI-driven job market.
Emphasizing AI Problem-Solving Skills
As AI continues to advance and think beyond just answering questions (chain of reasoning), education should shift from merely teaching people how to use AI to helping them develop better problem-solving skills in conjunction with AI. By partnering on hands-on AI projects, real-world case studies, and mentorship, future generations can learn to push AI to do more than just follow commands. - Jae Lee, MBLM
AI-Integrated Apprenticeships
Fostering AI-integrated apprenticeships enables students to gain practical experience with real-world AI applications. Companies can offer mentorship, AI projects, and industry insights, while schools ensure AI literacy, ethics, and problem-solving are an integral part of the curriculum. This collaboration guarantees students are taught AI skills that are in high demand in the workforce. - Timothy Kang, Fayston Preparatory School
Collaborative AI Learning Labs
By creating AI learning labs-joint spaces for students and industry volunteers-schools and businesses can collaborate. Students can engage with AI to foster creativity and productivity, while volunteers educate them on real-world applications like data analysis and machine learning. This prepares students for an AI-driven job market, and strengthens the bond between industry and academia. - Emre Kazim, Holistic AI
AI-Integrated Curricula
Through joint hands-on collaborations and AI-integrated curricula, students get firsthand experience on how AI enhances productivity with human involvement. Focus on teaching students to leverage AI for streamlining tasks, increasing engagement, and making smarter decisions. With this approach, students can learn to harness AI as a tool to drive innovation and improve results in a variety of fields. - Chase Williams, Pathify
AI Mentorship
Businesses and schools can partner on hands-on AI projects in which industry experts mentor students. Companies can provide real-world datasets and challenges, while schools integrate these into their curricula. Students gain practical experience with AI tools, learn about ethical considerations, and prepare for future tech demands. - Neel Sendas, Amazon
Open AI Discussion Platforms
To keep students informed about the latest AI advancements, businesses and schools should create open discussion platforms where students can share their ideas and visions about AI. If needed, schools can also arrange training sessions with the help of local businesses, featuring discussions about case studies and use cases. - Manish Mittal, OpenSource Technologies Inc.
Partnerships With Local Universities
Local universities can play a significant role in helping K-12 schools prepare future generations to adapt to an AI-driven job market. They can become involved through STEM competition sponsorships, speaker programs, and events, and by creating strong internship programs. - Igor Rikalo, o9 Solutions
Sponsorship of STEM and Digital Skills Curricula
Businesses should invest in sponsoring STEM curricula and digital skill-building in K-12 schools, particularly in underprivileged areas. This investment is vital in developing enough talent to fill all job roles across industries. Offering apprenticeships and scholarships enables students to gain real-world tech skills suitable for both trade jobs and software. - Marne Martin, Emburse
Free Access to AI-Driven Tools
Companies developing AI-driven tools can bridge the skills gap by providing students with free access for hands-on learning. Not only does this exposure give future talent real-world AI experience, but it ensures companies benefit from a workforce already trained in their technology. - Julius Černiauskas, Oxylabs
Sandbox Groups
Create sandbox groups where one group receives input and output variables while the other just receives input variables, asking them to simulate outputs. This prepares students to use AI and advanced analytics models to solve existing problems and explore new solutions-essential skills for the AI-driven job market. - Ramendra (Ram) Singh, Night Market (Horizon Media)
Assignments That Require Use of AI Tools
Make the use of AI tools a requirement for completing assignments, instilling in students the expectation of maximizing their output with AI assistance. Teachers can continue to grade based on creativity, polish, and comprehension, as there will still be ample room for that. - Dave Rosen
AI Apprenticeships and Internships
Create "AI Apprenticeship Days" where students collaborate with professionals to redesign traditional jobs using AI. This experience shows students how jobs like accounting or marketing are evolving and fuels their imaginations to consider new, innovative roles that may emerge. - Abhishek Sinha, Accenture
Real-World AI Projects
Design hands-on AI projects for students, partnering with businesses to create real-world challenges, like building chatbots or analyzing datasets. Why? Because real-world practice makes perfect. Students get to experiment with AI tools, businesses discover fresh talent, and everyone walks away a winner. - Dmitry Mishunin, HashEx
Focus on Developing Skills Necessary for AI-Augmented Future
The focus on testing students based on their capacity to memorize facts, formulas, dates, and concepts should shift to an emphasis on problem-solving and creativity. This focus change equips students to excel in an AI-augmented future. - Emily Lewis-Pinnell, Tential
In Sync With Industry Demands
Schools should collaborate with businesses to align courses and curricula with industry demands in terms of skills. This ensures quick employment and a wealth of opportunities for students. Co-ops, internships, "day in the life" business visits, and other collaborative events offer students a wealth of knowledge and experience. - Abhi Shimpi
Sharing Synthetic or Private Datasets
Collaboration between industry and universities in fields such as biotech and bioinformatics is already taking place. One obstacle to this collaboration is sensitivity regarding IP sharing and patient privacy. AI and related technologies can help address this problem by generating synthetic or differentially private datasets, making these available to students and researchers for research purposes. - Eric Novik, Generable Inc.
Small-Scale, Tech-Driven Projects
Businesses and schools can collaborate to tackle everyday inefficiencies through small-scale, tech-driven projects, optimizing daily operations through AI and delivering value to businesses while offering students hands-on experience and industry insights. - Andrea Prazakova, BrainGym
Digital Twin Internships
Create AI simulations of real work processes for students through digital twin internships. Remote guidance from industry mentors helps students handle task-based scenarios in a nearly real setting. This approach combines academic ideas with AI problem-solving, preparing graduates for the workforce. - Dr. Reji Thomas, TOL Biotech
Long-Term AI Projects
Schools and businesses can collaborate to create AI-driven, project-based learning programs for students, equipping them with critical thinking, teamwork, and creativity, while preparing them for future careers. These hands-on projects can be structured around multi-phase assignments, with students researching, designing, and testing solutions. - Shrushti Kenekar, Global Partners
Enrichment Data:
Practical Steps in Education:
- Integrating AI into Curriculum
- Business Schools: Institutions like the Leeds School of Business are integrating AI into core courses to equip students with both technical proficiency and ethical considerations[3].
- General Education: Schools like those in Davie County and Douglas County are using AI to personalize learning, develop student plans, and streamline administrative tasks[4].
- The School Teams AI Collaborative focuses on aligning school leadership, instructional strategy, and educator practice to enhance AI-enabled instruction, fostering educator communities for best practice sharing[1].
- Professional Development and Training
- Teacher Training: Educators are receiving training to effectively embed AI into their teaching and guide students in using AI tools responsibly[2][4].
- Faculty Development: Business schools are prioritizing faculty training to ensure they can teach AI skills and ethical considerations effectively[3].
- Assessment and Evaluation:
- Developing new assessment methodologies to evaluate students' progress in AI competencies and make appropriate adjustments in instruction to improve outcomes.
Collaborative AI Projects:
- Data Analysis Competitions: Businesses can sponsor data analysis competitions for students, providing datasets for analysis and facilitating the learning of AI and data science skills.
- AI & Ethics Roundtables: Joint roundtables or workshops can be organized to discuss AI ethics, its impacts on society, and the role of technology in solving real-world problems.
- Industry Mentorship Programs: Collaborative mentorship programs can provide students with access to industry experts and hands-on project experiences, developing their problem-solving skills and teaching them about the latest AI trends and applications.
- AI-driven Career Preparation Programs: Businesses can collaborate with schools to create AI-driven career preparation programs, offering short courses, webinars, or online resources to help students understand job market demands and prepare for future careers in AI and related fields.
- Hackathons: Joint hackathons or coding events can foster innovation and creativity while offering students the opportunity to develop real-world AI projects and showcase their skills to potential employers.
- Artificial Intelligence for Social Good: Collaborative projects focused on harnessing AI for social good can empower students to develop AI solutions for real-world challenges, such as improving healthcare outcomes, reducing food waste, or addressing climate change.
- As AI becomes more integrated into the workplace, it is essential for educators and business leaders to work together to ensure the next generation is well-versed in AI skills. - Chase Williams, Pathify
- One way for schools and businesses to collaborate is through AI-integrated apprenticeships, allowing students to gain hands-on experience with real-world AI applications. - Timothy Kang, Fayston Preparatory School
- To bridge the AI skills gap, companies can provide free access to AI-driven tools to students, giving them real-world experience and ensuring their familiarity with the latest technology. - Julius Černiauskas, Oxylabs
