EY helps clients create long-term value for all stakeholders. Enabled by data and technology, our services and solutions provide trust through assurance and help clients transform, grow and operate.
At EY, our purpose is building a better working world. The insights and services we provide help to create long-term value for clients, people and society, and to build trust in the capital markets.
What you need to know about the AI Skills Passport
In this video episode of the EY Microsoft Tech Directions podcast, professionals from Microsoft and EY explore the urgent need for AI and Microsoft Copilot skills in the workforce.
In this discussion, professionals from Microsoft and EY explore the urgent need for artificial intelligence (AI) skills in the workforce, highlighting that 75% of business leaders prefer hiring candidates with AI skills over those with other experience.
In response to the growing skills gap, they introduce the AI Skills Passport, a free online training program aimed at educating one million young people and underserved groups about AI by 2026, emphasizing the importance of strategic partnerships in addressing workforce challenges.
Speakers:
Jodi Lustgarten, Global Alliance Director, Microsoft
Anne Sawyer, EY Global Corporate Responsibility, Environmental Sustainability and Next-Generation Leader
Key takeaways:
The reality of the need for AI skills in today’s job market
The impact of quickly evolving technology and how traditional curricula cannot keep up
How EY and Microsoft have partnered to address the AI skill gap
For your convenience, full text transcript of this podcast is available below.
Kathy Hevland
Interesting fact. Employers requiring AI skills for candidates has increased 2000%. However, there is a 50% gap in the available candidates with those skills. Hello, I'm Kathy Hevland from the EY-Microsoft Alliance. This is Tech Directions where EY and Microsoft professionals explore transformative cloud solution. Join me for today's episode on how EY and Microsoft are collaborating in an innovative way to address the AI skills gap with young professionals.
Anne Sawyer
Hi there. I'm Anne Sawyer. I'm part of EY's global corporate responsibility team. As part of my job, I support the next-generation workforce by preparing young people in underserved groups for entry and re-entry into employment. I'm so excited to be here today with Microsoft's Jodi Lustgarten, who is a global Alliance director at Microsoft, and Jodi is going to tell us about the fastest growing skills gap that the world is facing right now.
Jodi Lustgarten
Thanks, Anne. Great to be here and thanks for the opportunity. Well, I'm sure you won't be surprised, but the biggest area is AI, and so Microsoft research with the World Economic Forum and LinkedIn have found that 75% of business leaders would not hire a candidate if they didn't have AI skills. And furthermore, nearly 75% also said they would hire a less experienced candidate with AI skills over somebody who has experience. So what we're finding is that these jobs with AI skills needed are growing at 3.5 times faster than any other jobs combined. But those skills are in short supply and 70% of workers today say they need to upgrade their AI skills.
Sawyer
Great. Thank you, Jodi. Well, just to add to those statistics, I have even more. But already the number of employers that are asking for AI skills in job listings has increased by 2000%. And then we're seeing in recent surveys that EY did with Kite Insights that... this was Gen Z respondents and only 15% felt that they were satisfied with how their schools or employment were preparing them for the use of AI tools and the implications of AI. A recent survey of US parents of Gen Alpha and Gen Z reported that 88% of these parents wanted to see more AI education. However, only 20% of them thought that the students were actually receiving the AI curriculum that they needed. So there's a pretty wide disparity. And we're just finding that the textbooks and curriculum just can't keep up with the rapid pace of AI. It's just moving too quickly and will likely for some time.
And that's where we really saw the opportunity to build an AI skilling program that really focuses on supporting young people aged 16 plus in underserved groups to really learn more about AI. So I'll turn it over to you to share more.
Lustgarten
Yeah, I love it. The AI Skills Passport is a free online training to help with this. It's available via the web, via mobile, and it's self-directed learning. So participants can take this course at their own pace. It's about 10 hours, and the syllabus includes a variety of areas such as what is AI, what it is not, how people are using it, different types, as well as ethical considerations. So when we think about responsible AI and the best practices there, it will include that. And then there's pieces that students also have the opportunity to look at AI applications within business, environmental sustainability, and then technology as specific career choices. Finally, it talks about employability, so students will be able to think about how they take these skills and resources and look at a career journey. So it's quite exciting.
Sawyer
Great. Thank you, Jodi. Once the participants complete the AI Skills Passport, they then receive a joint certificate with EY and Microsoft that notes their completion, and then it's something they can put on their resume, it's something that they can put on LinkedIn. So our goal is, by 2026, to engage one million learners in the AI Skills Passport, which we're really excited about.
Lustgarten
That's right, Anne. The learning model is based on Microsoft and EY's Green Skills Passport, which is already live in 15 countries, and it has already achieved more than 45,000 course completions. Importantly, more than 60% of the people who have taken the course say they are going to focus on careers for green jobs. And we're really optimistic that this AI Skills Passport can also make a meaningful difference in projected career journeys.
Sawyer
Thank you. On that note, I'd love to talk about Microsoft and EY's shared objective of empowering people with the skills needed to be truly successful in the changing workplace. So EY and Microsoft have supported thousands of people to enter and re-enter the workforce by using their resources, our networks, our people and developing new programs like the AI Skills Passport together. In particular, we're targeting those from disadvantaged backgrounds and those excluded from the workforce and really helping them to get job ready I know that Microsoft has a similar philosophy when it comes to corporate responsibility, so perhaps you could elaborate on that.
Lustgarten
Yeah, thanks Anne. Definitely. I think it's important to recognize that corporate philanthropy has really moved away from just writing checks or donating products and services. At Microsoft, it's all about the strategic partnerships that can scale our impact, and for us, dollars represent the least part of the value that we can bring to the table. It's our technology and the expertise that partners like EY can really bring to the equation. And I think that's why it's been great that your expertise, new ideas and ways that we could approach this together really help scale the impact that we have in the market. You know, the societal changes that we see in the world are just too big for one company to do it alone, so I think partnerships that are like ours, which is long-term, is really more critical for us to continue to drive the value that we need to bring our strengths together in the world. Make a difference.
Sawyer
I couldn't agree more. We're certainly stronger together. I so appreciate you sharing your thoughts on the joint efforts between EY and Microsoft I'm really looking forward to seeing how many learners we can reach with the AI Skills Passport. I know our goal is a million and hoping we reach that quickly. Thank you.
Lustgarten
Thank you, Anne. Appreciate it and I appreciate the partnership with EY.
Sawyer
Thank you.
Lustgarten
Thank you.
Hevland
Thanks for joining me today. If you know someone who can benefit from the AI Skills Passport program, please visit us at gsp.ey.com.
