Everyone Wants to Get Schooled in AI
One thing we can say for sure about AI: It is boosting education.
During the first quarter of 2023, technology and professional power skills saw the biggest increase in course consumption (in other words, minutes spent learning), according to the San Francisco learning company Udemy. The figures appeared in its Q1 2023 Workplace Learning Index, a quarterly report that highlights skills that are growing in demand among professionals.
One clear takeaway from the latest report: The rush to pick up skills in generative AI has led to massive growth in courses related to ChatGPT — to the tune of 4,419%!
On top of that, nearly 470 new courses on ChatGPT were added to Udemy’s platform over the past three quarters, generating more than 420,000 course enrollments as of March 31. Udemy said learners were especially focused on copywriting support to help boost SEO, idea generation to enhance visual presentations and large-scale email creation to improve productivity.
“The skills required for professionals continue to rapidly shift, so it’s critical that leaders provide the training resources needed to keep up with advancements such as those related to artificial intelligence,” said Scott Rogers, Udemy’s senior vice president of supply strategy.
AI, Machine Learning Top In-Demand Skills
Udemy’s Index spotlighted several other emerging themes in corporate learning:
- Artificial intelligence and machine learning have become two of the most sought-after skills in technology. More specifically, the leading global technical skills are ChatGPT (up 4,419%), Azure Machine Learning (up 281%), AI Art Generation (239%), Amazon EMR (227%) and Midjourney (218%).
- Industry certifications are in growing demand. Courses related to new technologies in data, Python and cybersecurity have all shown a spike in consumption. For example, courses on the Databricks Data Engineer Associate certification (up 320%) were #4 on the list of top tech skills globally and have continued to grow in popularity within both the U.S. (330%) and Indian (341%) markets.
- Not surprisingly, the government sector is developing its cybersecurity skills. Cybersecurity certification courses showed a 280% increase among employees in government organizations.
- Skills that enable data-driven insights continue to be prevalent. Tools like AWS Certified Data Analytics (107%) and Azure Data Factory (103%) are growing quickly in Australia, while data analysis courses increased by 42% in South Korea. Microsoft PL-300 courses increased by 131% in the healthcare industry.
- Data analysis, cloud/app development, business intelligence and software integration are also growing areas of specialization. Microsoft solutions that are focused on managing complex, technical tasks are gaining popularity. Udemy reported an increase in the adoption of Microsoft Power Platform within the manufacturing industry (358%) as well as in countries like Japan (1,063%), Canada (384%) and Germany (168%).
In the US, organizations want to learn more about ChatGPT, as shown by a 5,226% increase in consumption compared to Q4 2022. Other rising tech credentials for the country include Databricks Certified Data Engineer Associate (330% increase), Certified Associate in Python Programming or PCAP (306%) and Azure Machine Learning (279%).
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An Example of Putting AI Skills to Work
With numbers like that, it doesn’t take long to find a vendor who’s at least trying to put ChatGPT to real use.
In March, Chicago-based Hireology announced an AI-powered recruiting assistant it calls Beaker. The tool can generate job descriptions in a matter of seconds, the company said, helping employers attract the right candidates more quickly. Beaker allows users to input details like a job title and location. Once they’re done, it generates a clear and concise job description that is optimized for search.
Beaker’s not meant to remove humans from the job-creation process, Hireology says, but rather to automate “cumbersome steps” in order to get new jobs posted more quickly, and free up time for recruiters and managers to spend on more important tasks.
Hireology’s announcement came at a time when hiring remains more difficult than ever — especially for employers in industries hit hard by the pandemic — businesses like hospitality, healthcare and retail. Hireology is designed to help employers navigate tough job markets, and Beaker is just one of the recruiting solutions the platform offers. Its package also includes integrations with job boards, an applicant tracking system, employee referral program management and in-app candidate communication.
Related Article: All Certifications Are Not Created Equal
Learning Opportunities
AI Digs Deeper Into Recruiting
From Bellevue, Wash., the talent intelligence platform SeekOut also launched new generative AI technology based on GPT. Called SeekOut Assist, the tool allows recruiting teams to more quickly move from a job description to initial contact with candidates, the company said.
Launched in April, SeekOut Assist works with recruiters to surface qualified candidates, the company said. When recruiters paste a job description into the system, SeekOut generates a list of the most qualified candidates for the role.
The system uses GPT technology to break down job descriptions into search criteria such as job title, required skills and preferred skills. It then analyzes the over 800 million profiles in SeekOut’s talent database to find the best matches.
The best recruiters research candidates and craft highly personalized messages to increase their email response rates. SeekOut Assist generates a personalized message to each candidate based on their unique qualifications for the role.
In addition, SeekOut Assist analyzes the information in each candidate’s SeekOut profile, including skills and experience. Here again, the technology uses the profile and job description to write a personalized outreach message to the candidate, improving the chances of a response.
SeekOut believes its new approach to generative AI could have a serious impact on how recruiters get their jobs done.
These, of course, are only examples. There is so much more ground to cover and so many companies are rushing to the next big solution that will transform the traditional course of business — especially in HR.
To use Josh Bersin’s words (in a statement provided by SeekOut), “Generative AI will be a total game changer in HR.”
About the Author
Mark Feffer is executive editor of RecruitingDaily and the HCM Technology Report and an award winning journalist. He has been writing about Human Resources and technology since 2011 for outlets including TechTarget, HR Magazine, SHRM, Dice Insights, TLNT.com and TalentCulture, as well as Dow Jones, Bloomberg and Staffing Industry Analysts. He likes schnauzers, sailing and Kentucky-distilled beverages.
Connect with Mark Feffer:
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