Stephanie Enders, Chief Development Officer at Amii, shares workforce trends and skills insights on The Future Skills Podcast.
What does AI mean for the future of work in Canada? Stephanie Enders, Amii’s Chief Delivery Officer, explores how AI is reshaping the workplace on The Future Skills Podcast hosted by the Conference Board of Canada. In conversation with Noel Baldwin (Future Skills Centre), Mark Patterson (Magnet), and host Jeremy Strachan, the group unpacks what’s changing, what’s coming next, and how individuals and organizations can prepare.
Here are a few key takeaways from their discussion:
AI Literacy: Bridging the AI Skills Gap
The accelerating adoption of AI tools across industries is creating a significant and growing skills gap. Many businesses are experiencing a fundamental lack of basic AI literacy, meaning employees often lack an understanding of what the technology is, how it works, and why it might be useful.
Enders frames AI literacy as a direct solution that can equip the workforce with the foundational understanding necessary to bridge the gap. By prioritizing a human-centred mindset, understanding the ethics of AI, building a foundational understanding of AI techniques and applications, and developing skills in AI systems design, individuals can feel empowered to move beyond simply using AI tools to truly partnering with them. This shift transforms AI from a daunting external force into a manageable enhancement, turning a skills deficit into a strategic advantage for an evolving workforce.
Navigating AI Adoption: Overcoming Business Challenges
Enders also identifies the lack of basic AI literacy as one of the key hurdles businesses often face when integrating AI. Many simply don't grasp what AI is or how the tools may benefit their operations, leading to an "all-or-nothing" adoption mentality and significant change management issues. To counter this, Enders proposes weaving AI into existing frameworks like playbooks or standard operating procedures. This strategy makes AI a complementary tool within familiar structures, demystifying its implementation, managing perceived risks, and fostering a human-centred, incremental adoption journey instead of an intimidating overhaul.
Evolving Skill Sets for the Future Workforce
The rapid pace of AI adoption requires updated competencies. Enders suggests the solution involves cultivating two key evolving skill sets:
For AI-first roles, such as AI scientists, engineers and researchers, deep specialization and dual expertise are required; although these skills may take a long time to cultivate, they are vital.
For AI-integration roles, which involve deploying AI within companies, such as data engineers, DevOps, and technical product managers, they will need to consider how their roles may evolve in light of generative AI and how enhanced AI literacy may be necessary to effectively utilize AI tools in their existing functions.
By fostering both specialized AI talent and broad AI literacy, Enders believes we can transform AI into a pathway for new careers and greater productivity, ensuring individuals and organizations remain competitive in an AI-powered future.
Dive deeper into the conversation and listen to the full episode here: https://www.conferenceboard.ca/future-skills-centre/podcast/
