The Upskill Revolution
If there is one word the world has become very familiar with over the past four years, it’s “upskill.”
Those two syllables have struck a bit of fear in employees and employers alike as the world continuously advances its technological capabilities, even as a specialized skillset often translates into a high-quality and higher paying role.
The urgency to upskill has impacted every industry and has led companies to explore innovative solutions to navigate pressing labor shortages. Integration of upskilling opportunities allows employees to take advantage of programs offered within their organization, while employers mitigate tedious hiring strategies.
Activity is far from concentrated as initiatives launch around the globe in an effort to nurture productive growth from within and ensure a robust talent pipeline is set to enter the workforce.
Mercedes-Benz
For a global automotive giant like Mercedes-Benz the aspect of artificial intelligence will play a key role in advancing the digital expertise of its product lines. It led the company to announce a $2 billion investment into its current workforce by 2030.
The Turn2Learn initiative thus was born and as of 2023 had qualified over 600 employees as data and AI specialists. Piqued interest from the company’s workers will allow Mercedes-Benz to expand its D.SHIFT and Data Worker programs in years to come.
D.SHIFT, which is categorized as an in-service training program, first took place at the company’s Berlin, Germany, location in 2021. It opened production workers up to the opportunity to be retrained as data specialists, working on practical projects and a chance to shadow a chosen role for the duration of the program, the move into a new position following completion. These potential new roles cover positions such as data analysis, AI and software programming for electric mobility.
“To successfully shape the company’s transformation, we don’t just need to have the right digital tools and generative AI applications in place within the company. Of far greater importance is a team that both embraces change and constantly expands its digital skills,” said Mercedes-Benz AG Board of Management Member Sabine Kohleisen. “The huge interest in courses offered by our Turn2Learn qualification initiative proves that we’ve got exactly this kind of team at Mercedes-Benz.”
The Data Worker program was introduced in 2022, focusing on roles that specialize in the preparation, analysis and operationalization of data across four identified roles within the company — Data Product Owner, Data Engineer, Data Analyst and Data Scientist. Module training for these roles can range between 60 to 400 hours and are made available to all employees globally.
Samsung was able to expand its Samsung Innovation Campus reach in 2024, welcoming 3,500 new students to build skills in high-demand tech roles.
Photo courtesy of Samsung
“Data plays a key role in the transformation process towards becoming a digital company. Opinions become facts. This is the only way we can create first-class customer experiences and innovative solutions,” said Mercedes-Benz Group AG Chief Information Officer Jan Brecht. “Qualified specialists such as our Data Workers are the foundation for this. Their expertise makes it possible for us to fully tap the potential from data in a dynamic environment. They also show that the transformation to a data-driven organization not only creates entirely new roles, but also promotes personal and professional development.”
Samsung
In India, the Samsung Innovation Campus recently wrapped its second season of upskilling initiatives with a goal of providing training to 3,500 students between the ages of 18 to 25, alongside the Electronics Sector Skills Council of India.
Samsung has operated in India for over 28 years and fostering young talent throughout the country has become a key strategy for the company.
The program focuses on AI, Internet of Things, Big Data and Coding & Programming made available through eight higher education institutions in Uttar Pradesh, the Delhi National Capital Region, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. Students participate in both classroom and online training courses, completing practical learning modules, capstone projects, immersive training and hands-on experience.
“With AI set to transform our lives by ushering in an era of new technologies, it is imperative to engage the youth of today and harness their potential to build a better future,” said Samsung Southwest Asia President and CEO JB Park. “With Samsung Innovation Campus, we want to bridge the skills gap among the Indian youth so that they can become innovators of tomorrow. The program strengthens Samsung’s commitment to being a strong partner and contributor to the India growth story, Skill India and Digital India.”
Each program varies in hours of training participants will undergo. AI requires 270 hours of theoretical training and project work covering 80 hours. IoT and Big Data students must complete 160 hours of theory and 80 hours of a hands-on work project. Coding & Programming is completed over 80 hours of theory before students go on to a hackathon.
To up the ante, Samsung selects a number participants that have excelled throughout the program to award them over $1,000 in cash prizes in addition to Samsung products. Meanwhile, national top students have the opportunity to visit Samsung facilities in the Delhi National Capital Region and network with company leadership.
Amazon Web Services
In order to fill the thousands of unfilled tech jobs in Texas, Amazon Web Services has stepped in to bring its AWS Skills to Jobs Tech Alliance to the state. Companies including Brooksource, Corestack, DLZP Group, JP Morgan Chase, Tanches Global Management and TEKsystems who have operations in Texas will join Amazon to identify skill needs, engage with program participants and provide internship opportunities.
The AWS Tech Alliance is a global program with current operations in nine locations such as Brazil, Colombia, Egypt, France, Germany, India and more. Each program is catered to the tech industry needs relevant to its country, creating educational programs, bootcamps, career pathways and hands-on experiences for students and educators.
The Houston and Dallas metros were selected for the initial launch of the program. Texas State University, Houston Community College, Dallas College and Kilgore College will work alongside industry and government officials to create modernized tech programs that will lead students directly into critical Cloud and IT jobs in the state.
The move follows years of collaboration AWS has committed to in Texas, as the company has previously aided the Greater Houston Partnership’s UpSkill Houston initiative.
“As the pace of technological change advances in every market, the need for a globally diverse, digitally skilled pipeline has never been more important. The expansion of the AWS Skills to Jobs Tech Alliance into Texas further demonstrates our commitment to bring together government, education, industry and nonprofits to address this critical need and enable future economic growth,” said AWS Global Education Lead Valerie Singer as part of the announcement.
Schneider Electric
France-based energy management and automation company Schneider Electric has made AI a central focus for guiding its current workforce into new roles within the company.
The company launched its Open Talent Market (OTM) platform in 2020, allowing employees to create a virtual profile with their resume, relevant skillsets and future career goals. The platform will use whatever data is entered to present employees with open roles, projects and mentorship at Schneider to boost talent retainment.
The OTM has allowed the company to avoid outsourcing talent needs and provide employees with an avenue to gain new knowledge and even change roles by joining or assisting different divisions on various projects. This model gives talent the chance to explore new interests or build relevant skills within the company’s global network on their own time, while maintaining their current role.
“When Schneider’s OTM was launched I saw it as an opportunity to keep growing and upskill,” said Schneider Electric Modernization Commercial Leader Oleksandr Ivanov in a blog published by the company. “I’ve always felt this energy pushing me forward and inspiring me to never give up on my goals. I have never felt unhappy with my choices or positions in the company, but I always had this feeling of wanting to go further and see what else I could do outside of my role.”
Taking advantage of this tool has allowed a network of over 120,000 employees to develop connections and cultivate mentorship that allows them to learn from each other, in turn creating a robust, stable talent pipeline.
