On January 17th, the House Oversight and Accountability Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, Information Technology and Government Innovation held a hearing entitled “Toward an AI Ready Workforce.” Witnesses included Dr. William L. Scherlis, Professor of Computer Science at Carnegie Mellon University; Timi Hadra, Client Partner and Sr. Executive for West Virginia at IBM; and Costis Toregas, Director of the GWU Cybersecurity and Privacy Research Institute.
Chairwoman Nancy Mace (SC-01) and Ranking Member Gerald E. Connolly (VA-11) opened the hearing with statements on AI both in the United States and abroad, noting the importance of strengthening the use of AI in the workforce and the benefits that could come of this. Specifically, Connolly noted that now is not the time to replace the workforce with AI, rather it is the time to prepare current and future generations of the workforce on how to best work with AI.
Almost immediately, Mace raised the question of AI-related education options and affective alternatives to undergraduate and graduate degrees, in order to prepare the workforce to be AI ready. Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) also asked the witnesses how they can help private industries understand the curriculum needed for career preparedness, to which they provided examples of programs their respective schools and organizations provide. Scherlis shared that what he knew to be most effective was a direct working partnership with the workforce and education systems, pointing out that when the education system is aware of workforce needs in relation to AI, they can tailor the education they provide to those needs. Scherlis concluded his response on a strong point, noting that, “We collaborate with industry so that these programs can be tailored to local needs of local employers.”
Rep. Nick Langworthy (R-NY) pressed further on the issue of alternative AI education opportunities for those who don’t want four-year degrees. Scherlis emphasized again that in working with employers, employees and community colleges, workforce needs can be met through various educational pathways. Langworthy and the witnesses also discussed how to best “tear the paper ceiling,” which Langworthy explained as the “invisible barrier that comes at every turn for the 70 million workers who are STARs.” STARs (skilled through alternative routes) are often screened out in hiring processes because they do not possess four-year degrees. The witnesses pressed once again on the importance of outreach to students on alternative pathways, and Hadra shared one solution IBM is working on in this area, which is to provide opportunities for apprenticeships in the field that are registered with the Department of Labor, and therefore become industry standard.
Another pressing issue, raised by Rep. Steven Lynch (D-MA) is the shortage of STEM qualified teachers who are ready to work with and teach AI programs. This was addressed by Toregas, who touched on what interests him as an educator as well as the importance of building a network of educators, corroborated by Hadra who informed the committee of IBM’s investments in teachers and adult learners, providing another space for them to grow and network together.
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