Corporate AI training may struggle to address large-scale job transformation, report warns of skills gap risk
Research released last month by The Conference Board shows that current corporate AI upskilling training for employees mainly targets existing job requirements and may not prepare them for the complete transformation of work by AI. The survey found that among nearly 1,300 surveyed employees, 55% regularly use AI, but only one-third have participated in employer-provided AI training in the past six months, with content mostly focused on basic skills. Experts point out that prominent issues include a lack of time and resources, and training content lagging behind practical applications. Companies need to shift toward high-impact training, especially strengthening AI leadership capabilities among management.
Research released last month by The Conference Board shows that although companies are focusing on upskilling employees for their current AI-related job roles, these effortsmay not fully prepare employees for the potential scenario where AI fundamentally changes the way work is done.。
The survey results also indicate that existing formal AI training struggles to keep pace with how employees are actually using AI tools.
Among nearly 1,300 surveyed employees, 55% said they regularly use AI, but only one-third said they had participated in employer-provided AI training in the past six months—and such training typically focuses on what The Conference Board calls foundational AI skills, such as AI literacy and basic prompt writing.
Advanced skills, such as managing AI agents, are often not the focus of training, even though other research has shown that employees who candirectly command AI agentsoutperform their colleagues who merely send prompts to the tool and wait for results.
The Conference Board speculates that part of the problem is that employees believe they lack sufficient time or resources to build AI skills. Notably, leaders interviewed by the organization also said that proper AI training requires "dedicated time, hands-on practice, and management support." The report notes that organizations that delay developing AI capabilities until after widespread disruptive impacts arrive "may struggle to adapt to change."
Therefore, employers may need to focus their efforts on high-impact training—and in doing so, may need to prioritize managers. According to a recent report from Indeed and YouGov, managers said they feelunprepared to lead an AI-proficient workforce. But recent research from Gallup also shows that managers area key linchpin of employee engagement, especially when it comes to AI adoption.
"Many organizations have made progress in introducing AI to employees, but AI literacy alone will not create business value," said Matt Rosenbaum, chief researcher of human capital at The Conference Board, in a statement. "Organizations that benefit the most from AI will be those that help employees apply AI effectively in their work, continuously develop new capabilities, and keep adjusting as technology and business needs evolve."