Going for Gold: AI, Apprenticeships, and Shaping Workplace Champions

In my past blogs on the subject of generative AI in the workforce, I expressed my excitement for exploring applications of this technology to advance the future of learning and to unlock upward mobility in the workforce. Today, it is evident that the future is here. AI is making significant strides in every sector and industry (even among top-performing Olympians).

During a recent dinner table debate with my son (a newly minted college graduate), AI was once again a topic of discussion and whether it would eliminate entry level jobs that would have gone to new workforce entrants like him. He thinks all jobs suitable for recent college graduates will be done by AI in the future — and bases this foresight on his own use of ChatGPT 4.0 features.

I am not as bullish as he is but can see his point. Whether coding, building a website, writing manuals, running a spreadsheet, or solving math problems (particularly with the python integration), workplace tasks currently done by new college graduates foreseeably can be done faster by the AI.

I myself use the free version of ChatGPT and love how the tool makes completing certain tasks so much easier, including the task of writing job descriptions. Upon suffering two weeks of writer’s block, I took the advice of a colleague to use ChatGPT to generate a first draft. Voila! In less than one minute, it completed my HR task nearly perfectly. Soon after, I was asked to review several pages of web content to see if it captured us as an organization. Out of curiosity, I queried ChatGPT, and what it generated was an incredible set of succinct and clear bullet points that greatly improved the original draft. In these two small moments, I changed the nature of what entry-level analysts do in human resources and in communications departments.

Today many Fortune 500 companies are coming to this same conclusion about AI in the workplace, as it becomes integral to maintaining competitive advantage and staying relevant in an increasingly automated global market. Just this week JPMorgan Chase introduced a generative AI assistant to tens of thousands of its own employees, marking the first step in a larger initiative to integrate this technology across the vast financial institution. The program is now accessible to over 60,000 employees, assisting them with tasks such as drafting emails and reports. According to insiders, the AI software is anticipated to become as widespread as the videoconferencing tool Zoom.

So, with the adoption of new AI technologies, what’s a new college graduate to do to allay concerns and future-proof their career?

My WorkforceRx podcast guest, Vinz Koller at Social Policy Research Associates says, “The future of learning is work.” He advocates that apprenticeship training models where the individual is employed while simultaneously learning is the way forward. Vinz stressed the importance of transforming employers from mere consumers of talent into co-producers of talent, highlighting the need to demonstrate to employers how apprenticeships work and their benefits.? Effective apprenticeship programs can lead to lower turnover rates and enhanced patient care. Listen to my compete interview with Vinz Koller here.

In an earlier podcast, I sat down with Ryan Craig at Achieve Partners, who authored the book, Apprentice Nation: How the ‘Earn and Learn’ Alternatives to Higher Education Will Create a Stronger and Fairer America. During our discussion, Ryan highlighted the benefits of apprenticeships for healthcare and hospital employers. He emphasized that paid apprenticeships eliminate employment uncertainty for workers by ensuring they are hired from the start. For employers, apprenticeships reduce friction by allowing hospitals to assess talent before making a final hiring decision. This way, both parties benefit: workers gain job security, and employers avoid hiring unproven talent. My entire discussion with Ryan Craig can be found here.

As we have seen with the successes of Olympic athletes who blend innovative technology with rigorous training, the same principles can apply to career development. By becoming lifelong learners and integrating into work environments that value both human ingenuity and technological innovation, the next generation can navigate the challenges ahead and emerge stronger, more resilient, and ready to thrive in a world where AI isn’t a threat, rather just one of many new tools at their disposal.

Futuro Health CEO Van Ton-Quinlivan is a nationally recognized expert in workforce development. Her distinguished career spans the private, public, and nonprofit sectors. She is a White House Champion of Change and California Steward Leader, and formerly served as Executive Vice Chancellor of the California Community Colleges.