- Employers say time is more prohibitive than cost when it comes to AI training
- No one actually knows whose responsibility it is anyway
- Layering AI on top of sprawling teams causes friction
We’ve already seen countless studies revealing the need to upskill workers as their jobs evolve with AI tools, but what these studies fail to mention is that managers fully recognize this—and they’re actually just pressed for time,
New research from Indeed claims that one in two UK employers believe that artificial intelligence and automation will be the main driver of change in workforce skills over the next 3-5 years.
Likewise, more than half (52%) expect a modest or higher shift in skills, so upskilling efforts are clearly a big move.
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Managers say there is no time for AI upskilling
Two in five (40%) employers say time is the biggest barrier, second only to cost, when it comes to reskilling workers for an AI-driven future – a higher share than the number of employees (33%) who share the same mindset.
However, investing in training time can be good in the long run, because more than three in four (77%) AI adopting workers agree that they have saved at least an hour a day or more.
But then perhaps it is a lack of clarity about who is responsible. Over half (56%) of job seekers believe they are responsible for developing their AI skills, and the same number of employers say the responsibility lies with senior management.
“It is difficult to embed [AI] effective when treated as an addition to existing workloads,” wrote Senior Strategic Advisor Matt Burney. “When implementation is layered onto already stretched teams, the impact is rarely acceleration. It’s friction.”
Looking forward, it is clear that responsibility needs to be defined so that employers or employees can take ownership of upskilling, and then protected time is set aside to allow for this learning.
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