Technological Manpower Shortage – Global Challenge

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IT executives see the talent shortage as the most significant adoption barrier to 64% of emerging technologies, compared with just 4% in 2020, according to a new survey from Gartner. The shortage isn’t only about developers and data scientists: companies are struggling to hire workers across the IT sector as a whole, ranging from computing infrastructure to security (the survey refers to IT global organizations in North America, EMEA, and APAC).

Artificial intelligence (AI) is one of the fields that raise special interest. A new policy brief Georgetown University’s Center for Security and Emerging Technology (CSET) addresses the need for a clearly defined artificial intelligence education and workforce policy in the US. 

Recommendations are designed to leverage opportunities within the US education and training system while mitigating its challenges and prioritize equity in access and opportunity to AI education and AI careers.

One of the intriguing panel discussions at the INNOTECH 2021 event will focus on the technological manpower shortage. Interested in learning about the latest developments? Attend INNOTECH 2021 Cyber, HLS, and Innovation Event at Expo Tel Aviv, Nov. 17-18.

The US AI workforce (technical and nontechnical occupations), which stood at 14 million people in 2019, or 9 percent of total U.S. employment, has grown rapidly in recent years and it is projected to grow twice as fast as employment in all occupations.

Such an important and increasing component of the US workforce demands dedicated education and workforce policy. Yet one does not exist, claims the report. 

The report addresses the need for a clearly defined AI education and workforce policy by providing recommendations designed to grow, sustain, and diversify the domestic AI workforce. 

The report recommends that US AI education and workforce policy should have three goals: (1) increase the supply of domestic AI doctorates, (2) sustain and diversify technical talent pipelines, and (3) facilitate general AI literacy through K-12 AI education.

It recommends leveraging federal resources within the realities of the U.S. education and training system. A federal coordination function should be created given ongoing fragmented AI education initiatives. The report also recommends that a multipronged approach would be taken to implement policies across goals, including investing in education and training at various levels. 

The recommendations prioritize creating multiple viable pathways into AI jobs to diversify the AI workforce and leverage all U.S. talent. The research on which the report is based shows the dominant pathway to enter the AI workforce remains having a four-year college degree. However, this may be restricting the amount of talent entering the AI workforce, unnecessarily limiting opportunity for those who are otherwise qualified and able, according to homelandsecuritynewswire.com citing the report.