Navigating the Future of Work: Insights from the Experience You: Phase 1 Demonstration Report
Hello everyone! 👋
Today, I'm thrilled to delve deeper into an intersectional topic that's been a major focus here at Micro-credential Multiverse, where we spend a lot of time thinking about the intersection of workforce development, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and skills-based learning and hiring.
Our latest collaboration with Education Design Lab, the US Chamber of Commerce Foundation, and the T3 Innovation network has resulted in the development of an approachable, actionable, and informative "Experience You: Phase 1 Demonstration Report," which marks a significant milestone in the journey that I’m delighted to have you along for! And, as a co-author of the report and contributor to the Experience YOU community, I wanted to embellish the paper with my perspective and key takeaways.
It Takes a Village: How the "Experience YOU" Report Came Together
For this report, we teamed up with the brilliant Katie Sievers from Pearson, Colin Reynolds and Naomi Boyer from Education Design Lab, Phillip Long from the T3 Innovation Network, and Jason Tyszko from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation to co-develop this important resource, and let me tell you, the journey has been as exciting as the destination.
Additional shoutouts are also due to the fantastic extended crew at Experience YOU, T3 Innovation Network, U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation, and Education Design Lab. And, of course, none of this would have been possible without the backing of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Their support for the Experience YOU project and the larger T3 Innovation Network has been nothing short of transformative.
The Challenge: Bridging Skills Supply with Demand
The challenge that Experience You addresses is a systemic one: the problem of hidden talent and mismatched skills in the labor market. With over ten million unfilled jobs and twice as many people available to fill them, a significant disconnect exists. The project aims to eliminate this chasm by offering a scalable solution for creating comprehensive Learning and Employment Records (LERs) for those who need them most.
This challenge manifests in several key areas:
Hidden Talent and Mismatched Skills
A systemic issue in the labor market is the phenomena of “hidden talent” - or individuals with skills and competencies that are not effectively communicated or recognized in traditional job application processes. The high number of unfilled jobs exacerbates this situation when contrasted with a large pool of potential candidates in most areas. The report highlights a startling statistic from Preptel indicating that “Three out of four (75%) online resume submissions do not reach a human reviewer", underscoring the inefficiency of current methods in capturing the full spectrum of an individual's skills and abilities.”
“Three out of four (75%) online resume submissions do not reach a human reviewer…”
- NBC Make it, 2019
Inefficient Skill Representation
Traditional methods of representing skills, such as resumes and cover letters, often fall short in accurately reflecting the breadth and depth of an individual’s abilities and experiences. This inadequacy leads to a significant number of workers feeling underrepresented and undervalued, compelling them to seek opportunities that better align with their skill sets, either within their current organizations, elsewhere, or not at all.
Challenges for Specific Personas
The report illustrates this challenge through the lens of persona-aligned stories that illustrate the unique challenges that millions of individuals face in the job market:
Military Veterans like Deanna
Veterans often struggle to translate their military skills and experiences into language that resonates in the corporate world. The report describes how Experience YOU teams utilized AI to synthesize military-specific assets into civilian-friendly terms - surfacing valuable skills and enhancing employability.Unemployed but Experienced Individuals like Antoine
This group often faces the additional burden of overcoming stigma and face unique challenges in demonstrating their skills to potential employers. The report details how AI and LERs were used to create verifiable credentials that accurately represent skills and competencies, facilitating a smoother transition into gainful employment.Incumbent Workers like Maria
These individuals often find their skills are underappreciated or invisible within their current roles. To bring these skills into focus, Experience YOU project teams worked on identifying and effectively communicating these skills, enabling workers to reshape their career narratives while unlocking trust for key recognizers of those skills
Need for Scalable Solutions
The report underscores the necessity of creating LERs at scale using AI tools to transform the system dynamically. For the data to be transformative, it must be integrated into systems at scale and translated into actionable insights for different audiences. Within the Experience YOU report, we outlined a variety of approaches to scaling LER-enabled systems that were implemented successfully by project teams.
Collaboration as a Key to Success
From it’s inception, Experience YOU emphasized the importance of collaboration among various stakeholders, including innovators, advisors, and organizations. This collaborative approach is seen as essential to driving change in how skills are recognized, communicated, and leveraged within the LER ecosystem.
Deep Dive into the Report: Leveraging AI
At the heart of this report, it also seeks to demystify and expand on how the innovative use of AI can accelerate the adoption, creation and proliferation of Learning and Employment Records (LER’s). Throughout the report, we explore how AI can transform how skills and competencies are recognized, captured, and shared. Remember, the concept of LERs is not just theoretical; it's a practical tool already in action and how AI can catalyze an inflection in their development and application. These records are more than mere data points; they are chapters of lifelong learning journeys that can serve as keys to unlocking socioeconomic mobility and new career pathways.
Here are five key ways AI was utilized by project teams:
Enhanced Skills Recognition and Translation
AI technologies were instrumental in accurately identifying and translating skills, especially those acquired through non-traditional or informal learning paths. For instance, for military veterans like Deanna, AI helped translate military skills and experiences into civilian-friendly terms, making them more understandable and relevant in the corporate job market.
Creation of Comprehensive Learning and Employment Records (LERs)
AI was used to create detailed and structured LERs. These records capture a wide range of skills and experiences, including those that might be overlooked in traditional resumes. AI's ability to parse and organize large datasets ensured that LERs were both comprehensive and accurate.
Facilitating Career Transitions for Diverse Personas
AI-enabled smoother career transitions for individuals from diverse backgrounds, such as incarcerated individuals like Antoine. AI-driven tools helped convert informal and non-traditional learning experiences into verifiable credentials that could be effectively communicated to potential employers.
Customizing Learning and Career Pathways
AI provided personalized insights for learners and job seekers, suggesting potential career pathways and identifying skill gaps. By mapping individual skills against real-time labor market trends, AI helped users understand their competencies in the context of current and future job markets.
Improving Efficiency in Job Matching and Talent Acquisition
For employers, AI streamlined the talent acquisition process by improving job matching. AI algorithms could quickly analyze a candidate's LER to identify the best fit for a role, thereby enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of the hiring process.
Broader Implications and Reflections
While the Experience YOU report underscores the transformative power of AI in the workforce, there are individual key takeaways that I suggest looking for, based on your current role. However, keep in mind that the implications of our findings extend far beyond individual cases:
For Learners:
Learners should actively manage and showcase their professional narratives, embracing the power of personal data in career development.
Utilize AI-driven Learning and Employment Records (LERs) to accurately represent diverse skills and competencies
Recognize the importance of both formal and informal learning experiences in shaping career paths and opportunities.
For Educators:
Align curricula and learning experiences with the evolving demands and skills required in the job market.
Integrate skills-based learning and utilize AI tools to identify and nurture workforce-relevant skills.
Prepare students for a dynamic employment landscape where traditional and non-traditional learning paths are equally valuable.
For Employers:
Adopt AI-driven hiring practices to uncover hidden talent and diversify the talent pool.
Overcome traditional hiring barriers and biases by recognizing a broader range of skills and experiences.
Enhance hiring processes to tap into unexplored potential within the job market, leading to more inclusive and effective talent acquisition.
For Policymakers:
Advocate for and support systems that acknowledge and validate diverse learning and employment trajectories.
Promote the development and adoption of LERs and ensure infrastructure and regulatory frameworks are conducive to AI in skills validation.
Create policies that lead to a more inclusive and dynamic workforce, reflecting the diverse paths individuals take in their learning and career development.
For All Stakeholders:
Emphasize the importance of collaboration among learners, educators, employers, and policymakers in driving systemic change.
Work together to bridge the gap between skills acquisition and workforce needs, leveraging AI and LERs.
Create a cooperative ecosystem to enhance workforce development and skills recognition, benefiting the entire labor market.
What about YOU? (This is Experience YOU, afterall)
As we navigate this reshaping of the professional landscape, your experiences, insights, and stories are invaluable. This journey is about all of us – educators, professionals, job seekers, and lifelong learners. We're not just observing the change; we're leading it.
I encourage you to explore the full "Experience You" report and engage in this vital conversation. Visit our Micro-credential Multiverse website for a detailed dive into these topics and more. Let's discuss, share, and collaborate as we steer this exciting shift in the world of work.
Essential Questions for Reflection:
How do you see AI transforming your industry or field in terms of skills recognition and career development?
What challenges do you anticipate in implementing skills-based hiring practices in your organization?
How can we better prepare individuals re-entering the workforce from non-traditional backgrounds, like incarceration or military service?
I look forward to your thoughts and insights. Together, let’s make this count.
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