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While AI will disrupt jobs in most industries, frontline workers will likely face the most significant hurdles in overcoming the skills gap created. Recent research from McKinsey found that workers in the two lowest wage quintiles are up to 10 to 14 times more likely than the highest earners to be forced to change occupations by 2030.
To help these workers keep up with the rapidly evolving technology, education startup Guild unveiled a new AI skills learning program targeted at frontline workers on Tuesday. The learnings include over 35 programs offered through eCornell, Louisiana State University, and Southern New Hampshire University.
Although frontline workers represent over 70% of the U.S. workforce, only 14% say they have received training on how AI will affect their jobs, according to a June study from Boston Consulting Group. With its new offerings, Guild, which serves major employers like Walmart, Hilton, and Disney, aims to help employers upskill workers with market-relevant AI competencies.
“As we started to gather information around what people are doing and what gaps exist, one of the things that became pretty obvious to us is that [for] the frontline worker in particular, there aren’t a lot of offerings that cater to enabling that population,” says Bijal Shah, Guild’s chief experience officer.
The teachings range from AI basics to understanding its applications in the workplace. The programs will target four key areas:
AI fundamentals: Learning the basics of AI literacy, including how it’s used and ethics
AI in practice: How AI tools are used in the workplace, by the individual employee, and in the broader organization
AI expertise: Technical programming on how to build AI tools and algorithms
AI for leaders: Executive best practices for designing and implementing an AI-driven strategy.
The learning offerings are meant to be accessible. Many programs don’t require a bachelor’s degree, and several can be taken without prior educational experience.
Guild, whose primary member demographic is frontline workers, has seen a recent explosion in AI interest. Application volume for existing AI programs on its Learning Marketplace grew by nearly 800% over the past year.
“With frontline workers, in particular, they tend to have the least accessibility to new technology. They also sometimes cannot use it because they’re nervous,” says Shah. “We’re trying to lower the barrier and make it more approachable…and at a level where someone feels like they really can understand the inner workings of what’s happening.”
Paige McGlauflin
paige.mcglauflin@fortune.com
@paidion
Reporter's Notebook
The most compelling data, quotes, and insights from the field.
Employers may finally be getting their way with RTO. According to new data from the Census Bureau's Household Pulse Surveys, less than 26% of U.S. households still have someone working remotely at least one day per week, the lowest since the start of the pandemic.
But demand for remote jobs hasn’t waned. In August, more than half of job applications in 157 of the largest metro areas in the nation were for remote or hybrid roles, despite overall postings for these jobs falling since early 2022.
Around the Table
A round-up of the most important HR headlines.
- Only 27% of HR chiefs at fully remote-capable Fortune 500 companies say the work model positively influences mental health. Almost half, however, say it increases productivity. Harvard Business Review
- LinkedIn laid off almost 700 employees on Monday, mostly in its engineering branch. It also made cuts to its HR department. CNBC
- Ford executive chairman Bill Ford pleaded for an end to the United Auto Workers strike, citing worker impact. The company has already furloughed more than 2,400 employees since the strike began. Reuters
- Six million square feet of new office space is set to transform Downtown Austin’s skyline. But the real estate firm behind the project estimates that roughly 87% of the building will be vacant upon opening. Washington Post
Watercooler
Everything you need to know from Fortune.
Manager mistakes. More than 80% of managers received the role “accidentally” without formal training, a survey from the Chartered Management Institute found. One-third of them want to leave their job in the next year because of it. —Orianna Rosa Royle
New perspective. Dropbox CEO Drew Houston, a vocal proponent of flexible work, said last Tuesday that companies instituting return-to-office mandates see their employees as “resources to control.” —Jane Thier
Showing up is enough. More Americans are employed now than before the pandemic, but the hours worked haven’t seen a similar increase. A new Washington University study blames this disparity on pandemic-induced quiet quitters, who remain employed but work fewer hours. —Irina Ivanova
Cool and connected. According to two psychologists, combating loneliness and fatigue in the workplace requires that employers align individual purpose with job duties, set reachable goals, and avoid doling out excess responsibilities. —Kells McPhillips
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