Employers step in to fill the AI education gap

Ilant Health raised $15M in Series A funding to deliver AI-enabled, value-based obesity care to employers and health plans across the United States.

As internship opportunities decline, competition increases and AI redefines what skills are most valuable, employers and higher-ed leaders say work-based learning is a critical bridge between college and careers.

The current “no-hire-no-fire” environment in the workplace has slowed the pace of tech hiring in the US, but companies have seen one benefit — the selection of job candidates is easier. Many employers have become clearer about the qualifications they’re seeking in new hires: they’re focused less on people who can service large stacks of code, and more on ability to have a direct impact on corporate revenue and operations. “Roles are narrower, expectations are clearer, and teams are being built with purpose rather than volume,” said Kye Mitchell, head of Experis, a division of recruiting firm ManpowerGroup. That’s the backdrop amid a spate of recent hiring data reports released by the US government and various private firms that track hiring. Overall, employment in the US rose by 115,000 jobs in April, with gains in healthcare, transportation and warehousing, and retail trade, according to the latest report by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.  But tech hiring has slowed and in the las

As AI creates uncertainty around specific technical skills, universities and employers are rethinking how to embed AI fluency, real-world experience and soft skills into education through private-public partnerships.