I’m excited that Workera was named Fast Company Most Innovative in 2024, alongside leaders like Microsoft, Canva and IBM who are transforming their industries.
When I started Workera in 2019, we set out to help people better understand their skills, uncover their gaps, and take actions to unlock their fullest potential. We knew that achieving this would only be possible by harnessing cutting-edge AI technology, improving our ability to validate and predict skills as well as offer meaningful feedback to learners. With AI evolving so rapidly in recent years, the relevance and criticality of our mission have only intensified.
AI is actively being applied across industries, from autonomous driving and manufacturing processes to drug discovery. But, I believe the most profound impact of AI is yet to come. AI will redefine the future of work. It will revolutionize workforce efficiency and productivity. Below are a few reasons why I’m so excited for the future of skills technology and AI.
Skill development is no longer a ‘nice-to-have’ for organizations — it’s essential for the business to innovate and remain relevant. In the current market landscape, solely depending on new hires to bridge technology skill gaps is impossible. More often than not, the focus must shift towards upskilling and reskilling existing talent as the primary strategy. Fast Company recognizing Workera (a relatively young company) in the Enterprise category highlights the elevation of skill development to a CEO-level priority.
Technology is moving so rapidly that the half-life of skills is diminishing. If you want to be an innovator, you have to refresh your skills regularly. Whereas 40 years ago, skills could remain relevant for a decade, today they are expected to be updated within just 4 years— significantly faster than we’ve ever seen. Sixty-one percent of workers globally will need retraining by 2027, 94% of people are saying they are ready to learn new skills, however only 5% of organizations are actively reskilling their workforce at scale, Accenture recently reported. In highly sought after skills such as AI, machine learning, and cloud computing this timeframe is estimated to be even shorter. Organizations can’t keep up with the change unless they have partners, like Workera, to benchmark them and keep them up-to-date in the latest competencies.
Workera’s skills engine enables 5X faster upskilling and has shown to boost generative AI proficiency by 240%. The platform has already measured over 5 million skills from every industry and across the globe for customers like Accenture, Siemens Energy, Belcorp, The United States Air Force, and Samsung. Our skills engine uses these insights to develop personalized assessments for employees across thousands of critical and emerging skill areas such as machine learning, responsible AI, and data science. These assessments not only provide employees with personalized insights into their areas for growth, but they offer leaders a view into the capabilities of its workforce to plan for the future.
AI is becoming a common part of our world, much like the internet. It's a skill that will last, a horizontal skill. Just as everyone today can use the internet and search on Google, soon every employee will need to have AI skills, albeit at different levels of proficiency. AI will also elevate the value of specialized knowledge by integrating with every aspect of work, emphasizing the importance of subject matter expertise augmented by AI, known as AI+X. Workers who use Generative AI as part of their jobs now comprise a much larger group than those who hold traditional technical roles, McKinsey & Company recently shared.
AI allows us to transform skills verification, shifting the focus from traditional pass/fail assessments to a deeper understanding of each individual's strengths and areas for improvement. This evolution will require reimagining assessments as tools for growth and discovery. While leaders and managers may not possess the expertise to design tests, develop competency models, or author valid assessment items, their core strength lies in their clear vision of organizational goals and the strategic objectives they aim to achieve. Recognizing this, the true value of AI emerges as it augments leaders' capabilities, compensating for their lack of technical expertise in skills and learning. Picture an AI agent equipped with deep insights into psychometrics, learning science, and talent management, empowering leaders and managers to excel in aligning their teams with the strategic demands of the organization.
At Workera, we're at the forefront of skills innovation, offering our customers and learners a path to stay ahead and inspire their teams to dream bigger. I am grateful for our team. We have made incredible progress over the last 4 years, and although there’s still a long way to go, we have never been closer to achieving our vision! Thank you for supporting us.
