Strategies for Upskilling Employees

Every customer and government leader I meet is asking, “How can we make AI a force for good for our people, and not a threat?” 92% of jobs are expected to undergo some level of transformation due to advancements in AI. The work begins with identifying and enabling the new skills and training needed for AI preparedness. That’s why I’m honored to share the insights from the AI-Enabled ICT Workforce Consortium's inaugural report, “The Transformational Opportunity of AI on ICT Jobs.” This report examines the impact of AI on 47 ICT job roles and offers tailored training recommendations. It's a unique guide to the skills needed for the AI future, with recommendations that couldn't be clearer, timelier, or more urgent. Here are some of the top takeaways: - 92% of ICT jobs will undergo high or moderate transformation due to AI. - 40% of mid-level and 37% of entry-level ICT positions will see high levels of transformation. - Skills like AI ethics, responsible AI, prompt engineering, and AI literacy will become crucial. - Foundational skills such as AI literacy and data analytics are essential across all ICT roles. Read the full report here: https://lnkd.in/gWfPc8WT The risks associated with an under-skilled, unprepared workforce are global in scale, ranging from economic wage gaps to trade imbalances, technological stagnation, social and ethical issues, and national security threats. This creates a pressing need for a coordinated effort to reskill and upskill employees around the world. By investing in a long-term roadmap for an inclusive and skilled workforce, we can help all populations participate and thrive in the era of AI. Led by Cisco and joined by industry giants like Accenture, Eightfold, Google, IBM, Indeed, Intel Corporation, Microsoft, and SAP the Consortium will train and upskill 95 million people over the next 10 years through their individual organizations' commitments.

How to Actually Get Experience in Cybersecurity (Part 2) In my previous post, I talked about the importance of organizational context in getting cybersecurity experience. But how do you actually get that kind of experience when you’re still trying to break into the field? Here are four practical ways to gain real-world, contextual cybersecurity experience even if you don’t have a job yet: 🔹 Case Study-Based Projects Instead of just learning how to “set up a SIEM” or “analyze logs,” create scenario-based projects that mimic real-world incidents. Example: → A company suffered a data breach due to weak access controls. Your task? Investigate, document the security gaps, and suggest mitigation strategies. → This is how security teams operate in real organizations. 🔹 Home Labs – Simulate Business Use Cases Many people set up security tools in a lab environment, but the real value comes from simulating actual business use cases. Example: → Instead of just installing a firewall, simulate a phishing attack and analyze how logs can help detect and prevent future incidents. 🔹 Capture The Flag (CTFs) – Focus on Real-World Impact CTFs are great, but don’t just stop at solving challenges—understand the security implications behind them. Example: → If a CTF involves SQL Injection, ask: How did this vulnerability get introduced? What security controls should have been in place? How does this apply in a real-world application security review? 🔹 Internships & Volunteering – Gain Hands-on Experience You don’t always need a formal job to get real-world security exposure. Example: → Offer security support to local small businesses, startups, nonprofits, or open-source projects. Many small companies don’t have dedicated security teams and will appreciate the help. Cybersecurity isn’t just about knowing how to do things—it’s about understanding why they matter in a business context. Share this so others can learn. #CybersecurityCareerGrowth #Cybersecurity

AI can give you answers. But your friend explaining it over chai will help you remember. We’re all talking about ChatGPT replacing teachers. But the most powerful learning I’ve seen lately? Came from a student teaching his friends at 11 PM. No AI. No slides. No script. Just passion, real understanding, and a bit of humour. It was raw. It was engaging. And honestly? It worked better than most lectures I’ve attended. 🤖 ChatGPT can explain a concept. But it can’t laugh with you when you don’t get it. It can’t find your language to help you understand. It can’t stay back after class and say, “let’s go over it again.” That’s why I believe peer-led learning is the next quiet revolution in education. Here’s what happens when students teach each other: ✅ They simplify- because they have to understand first ✅ They build trust- learning feels less intimidating ✅ They remember- because teaching is the best form of learning AI is amazing. But community-based learning is timeless. 🗣 If we want education to evolve, it’s not just about tech. It’s about trust. It’s about students becoming leaders of learning. So tell me: What’s more powerful in your experience: a machine with perfect answers? Or a classmate who makes you feel like you can figure it out together? Let’s talk about it :) #peerlearning #educationinnovation #studentledlearning #futureofeducation #jaipurians #jaipur #pinkcity #drprabhatpankaj

Most learning experiences fail. Not because they lack content. Not because they aren’t engaging. But because they confuse motion with action. - Learners finish an interactive course—but can’t apply a single concept. - Employees earn certifications—but their performance stays the same. - Teams attend workshops—but nothing changes in how they work. Your beautifully designed courses might be keeping learners busy without moving them forward. The difference between motion and action explains why so many well-designed learning experiences fail to create real change. Motion 🔄 vs. Action 🛠️ in Learning Design Motion is consuming information—watching videos, reading content, clicking through slides. Action is applying knowledge—practicing skills, making decisions, solving problems. Motion FEELS productive. Action IS productive. ❌ What doesn’t work: - Content-heavy modules with no real-world application - Knowledge checks that test memory, not mastery - Gamification that rewards progress, not proficiency - Beautiful interfaces that prioritize scrolling over doing ✅ What works instead: - Micro-challenges that force immediate application - Project-based assessments with real-world constraints - Deliberate practice with quick feedback loops - "Demo days" where learners publish/present their work 3 Common Motion Traps 🪤 1️⃣ The Endless Content Cycle Overloading learners with information but giving them no space to apply it. A 40-page module doesn’t drive change—practice does. 2️⃣ The Engagement Illusion Designing for clicks, badges, and completion rates instead of real skill-building. Just because learners show up doesn’t mean they’re growing. 3️⃣ The Passive Learning Trap Building "Netflix for learning" experiences that entertain but don’t transform. Learning feels good—but does it change behavior? What to Do Next? 💡 - Audit your learning experience. Calculate the ratio of consumption time vs. creation time for your learners. - If learners spend more than 50% consuming, redesign for action. The best learning designers don’t create the most content. They create the most transformation. Are you designing for motion or action?

🔍 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐜 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐅𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐚 𝐅𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐂𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐏𝐘𝐏 𝐂𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐫𝐨𝐨𝐦𝐬 🌱 Creating a strong feedback culture in an IB PYP classroom is essential for student growth, reflection, and agency. Feedback should be constructive, continuous, and student-centered, allowing learners to take ownership of their progress. But how can we ensure that feedback is meaningful and engaging? Here are 𝐞𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐜 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐞𝐬 that can help foster an effective feedback culture in your classroom: ✨ 𝐓𝐡𝐞 "𝐅𝐢𝐱 𝐈𝐭" 𝐋𝐢𝐬𝐭 – Encourage students to maintain a list of areas they need to improve. This strategy promotes self-reflection and goal setting. ⭐ 𝐓𝐰𝐨 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚 𝐖𝐢𝐬𝐡 – A simple yet powerful peer and self-assessment tool where students highlight two things they did well and one area for improvement. 💡 𝐆𝐥𝐨𝐰 & 𝐆𝐫𝐨𝐰 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 – Students and teachers use "Glow" (positive feedback) and "Grow" (constructive feedback) statements to guide reflection and progress. 🔄 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐅𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐥 – Students rotate in small groups, giving and receiving feedback on each other’s work, ensuring varied perspectives and deeper insights. 📝 𝐄𝐱𝐢𝐭 𝐓𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐭 𝐅𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤 – A quick and effective way to gauge student understanding at the end of a lesson. Students write reflections or questions on a sticky note before leaving. 🔍 𝐈 𝐍𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐞, 𝐈 𝐖𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫, 𝐈 𝐒𝐮𝐠𝐠𝐞𝐬𝐭 – A structured reflection framework that encourages students to observe, inquire, and provide constructive feedback. 📌 𝐒𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐲 𝐍𝐨𝐭𝐞 𝐅𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐖𝐚𝐥𝐥 – A collaborative space where students leave anonymous or named feedback on their peers' work, promoting a supportive learning environment. 🚦 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐜 𝐋𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐑𝐞𝐟𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 – A self-assessment tool where students use red, yellow, and green indicators to express their level of understanding and confidence in a topic. 🤝 𝐓𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐫-𝐒𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐬 – One-on-one discussions between educators and students that allow for personalized feedback and targeted support. By incorporating these strategies, we empower students to develop their metacognitive skills, become reflective learners, and take ownership of their learning journey. 🌍✨ 📌 What feedback strategies do you use in your classroom? Share your thoughts in the comments! ⬇️ 𝐉𝐨𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐈𝐧𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐫𝐲 𝐂𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐫𝐨𝐨𝐦 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐬𝐀𝐩𝐩 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲:-. https://lnkd.in/gzX_x8Hj 𝐓𝐨 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐲 𝐏𝐘𝐏 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐞𝐬 𝐊𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐥𝐲 𝐕𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐭: https://lnkd.in/g2ijMEsW #inquiryClassroom #IBPYP #StudentAgency #FeedbackCulture #InquiryBasedLearning #IBEducation #Reflection #AssessmentForLearning #PeerFeedback #GrowthMindset

I recently came across a thought-provoking report from the McKinsey Global Institute, which estimates that by 2030, intelligent agents and robots could displace as much as 30% of the world’s human labor—potentially impacting the jobs of up to 800 million people. This statistic is a wake-up call for all of us to start thinking about how we can adapt to this rapidly changing landscape. The rise of AI is bringing incredible advancements, but it also poses challenges for the workforce. Here are some key skills that will be crucial for staying relevant in this new era: >> Cognitive Flexibility:- The ability to conceptualize complex, interconnected ideas. >> Digital Literacy & Computational Thinking:- Understanding and leveraging technology effectively. >> Judgment & Decision-Making:- Navigating choices with clarity and confidence. >> Emotional, Social & Cultural Intelligence:- Building meaningful connections and understanding diverse perspectives. >> Creativity & Innovative Mindset:- Thinking outside the box to solve new problems. The reality is, jobs that are repetitive and low-efficiency are at the highest risk of disappearing. These roles are often prone to fluctuating demand, simple to automate, and can become unprofitable over time. But this also opens up opportunities for us to focus on what humans do best—creativity, empathy, and innovation. So, how can we prepare? >> Upskill in areas that AI can’t easily replicate. >> Embrace lifelong learning to stay adaptable. >> Foster a mindset of innovation and collaboration. The future of work is not about humans vs. machines—it’s about humans *with* machines. #futureofwork #AIRevolution #upskilling #innovation #digitaltransformation

🚨 NEW EPISODE ALERT – The final chapter in our Unilever interview series is here! In this last instalment of Voices in Transformation, I sit down with Adam Raeburn-James and Jane Mackie to talk about something that doesn’t get nearly enough attention in digital transformation: people. Unilever’s supply chain transformation isn’t just about implementing AI or digital twins. It’s about upskilling 23,000+ employees in AI basics, building skills hives, and creating career pathways from the shop floor to the global data science team. We discuss: 🔹 The shift from broad tech awareness to deep capabilities like prompt engineering 🔹 How factories in Brazil are using AI to cut energy usage by 25% 🔹 Why tech + human expertise is the real winning formula 🔹 What it takes to drive transformation across an entire workforce at scale This is more than just another digital transformation story. It’s a powerful case study in how to lead with people, embed learning, and build a future-ready organisation. 🎥 Watch the full episode now 👉 https://lnkd.in/eAxq2-sQ #VoicesInTransformation #SupplyChainLeadership #DigitalTransformation #AI #Upskilling #Unilever #FutureOfWork #SupplyChainInnovation #Leadership #TransformationInAction

Not all soft skills training is created equal. A few months ago, I was working with a group of managers from a large manufacturing company. They had been through plenty of training programs before- the kind where you take notes and then go right back to doing things the old way. When I walked into the room, I could see it in their faces: Let’s see if this is any different. So instead of starting with slides or theory, I took them straight into a live simulation: - A crisis scenario that could actually happen in their business. - Conflicting priorities, tough personalities, and limited time to decide. - Every move they made in real time had visible consequences. To begin with, I saw a lot of resistance in experimentation, voices which were not too loud and over powering were ignored leading to loss of critical information- the room was tense. People hesitated. Some stuck to their usual patterns. But as it got deeper, they started communicating much more effectively, this led to them collaborating, noticing blind spots, and eventually testing new ways to lead. By the end, they weren’t asking- Will this work? They said that they wanted to cascade it to their teams. Weeks later, I got an email from one of the managers. He told me he used the exact process from our simulation to navigate a real customer crisis and not only avoided a major fallout, but actually strengthened the client relationship through this crisis. That’s the difference between training that’s forgotten by the time you’re back at your desk, and training that rewires how you think, act, and lead. The secret? Immersion. When participants practice real scenarios, solve actual challenges, and see the impact of their decisions in the room, learning sticks. Priya Arora #immersivelearning #trainingdesign #employeeengagement #learningthatsticks #corporatelearning #leadershipdevelopment #upskilling #skillbuilding #workplacetraining #experientiallearning #Learningdeisgn #corporatetrainer #softskillstrainer #simulation #experintialtraining

Did you know that in the UK, nearly 30% of university graduates are left without a professional-level job 6 months after graduating? Compare that to the 91% of apprentices who secure employment or continue into higher education immediately after their apprenticeship. This isn’t to dismiss university. We absolutely need it — for the critical qualifications and expertise that only higher education can provide. And now, with the rise of degree apprenticeships, many young people are gaining the best of both worlds: practical experience paired with a degree. But when you’re at that critical crossroads after your GCSEs or A-levels, please, don’t overlook the power of an apprenticeship. Construction, for example, offers a vast spectrum of opportunities—engineering, design, project management, and much more—all accessible through different apprenticeship pathways. Not all paths are black and white, and no one size fits all. But apprenticeship is a brilliant, often undervalued route to meaningful, fulfilling work. Please share this to within your network and let’s make sure the next generation has all the facts when deciding what’s next. For more unique insights and content that you won’t find anywhere else, follow me: https://lnkd.in/eSzmibum #apprentice