3 Work Trends - Issue 60

AI agents, the barriers facing women entrepreneurs, investing in girls' education – these are the stories covered in this issue of the World Economic Forum’s 3 Work Trends newsletter, your guide to the future of work and education in an ever-changing world.

1. How businesses can harness the benefits of #AI #agents

Agentic AI is changing how businesses drive outcomes by accelerating speed to value.

The companies that will dominate the next decade won’t just use AI, they’ll fully integrate agent-driven actions across their business and partnerships.

In this article, Chet Kapoor , Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, DataStax , suggests the Discover, Decide, Deliver framework, which provides guidelines for how business leaders should think about their investment and approach to adopting AI and agentic workflows.

To capture the benefits of speed to value, a process change and a mindset change are vital both across leadership and throughout organizations.

Find out more about unlocking the promise of AI agents here.

2. How to break down the barriers that #women in business face

Across the world, women encounter economic, social and legal barriers to starting and growing their businesses. From gender stereotypes to limited access to funding, women entrepreneurs face unique challenges - particularly in developing economies - because of their gender.

According to the World Economic Forum ’s Global Gender Gap Report 2024, the gender gap in economic participation and opportunity has closed by just 60.5%. At the current rate, it won’t close fully until 2176.

Cherie Blair CBE KC launched the Cherie Blair Foundation for Women to address these gaps and support women business owners. Here she discusses 3 barriers facing women in business, and how to break them.

Watch the full video here.

3. Investing in #girls' #education is both an economic and moral imperative, here's why

If all girls completed their secondary education, countries would gain between $15-$30 trillion dollars in lifetime productivity and earnings. Yet, progress toward gender parity remains uneven, with Africa facing some of the greatest challenges.

Within the next decade, Africa will have a workforce of one billion people aged 15 to 65.

The key to harnessing this demographic potential is education – particularly for girls. While progress has been made among wealthier urban households, rural communities continue to face deep-rooted barriers, leaving many girls without access to quality education.

Scalable, cost-effective innovations like Accelerated Education Programmes are already expanding access to education by working directly with communities.

Designed to reach vulnerable children, these programmes not only accelerate learning but also incorporate mentorship, safety and self-esteem initiatives.

Find out more from South Sudan's Minister of Education, Awut Deng Acuil and Dr. Randa Grob-Zakhary , CEO and Founder, Education.org here.

Share your thoughts and experiences below in the comments. For more detailed analysis, follow the World Economic Forum. See you in the next issue for more updates on the future of #work.