Gen Z is set to capitalize on AI skills gap as workers want to learn, but businesses aren’t teaching, finds new report

Gen Z demands training

Employers could also be losing out on top Gen Z talent by failing to offer AI training to their workforces, the survey findings suggested.

One in five workers told Randstad they wanted to be offered AI training within the next 12 months, with a third of Gen Z employees saying they wanted to be trained in the tech over the next year.

According to the poll’s results, around one in five Gen Z workers ranked learning and development opportunities as the biggest nonfinancial motivator at work, with almost half of the Gen Z workers who took part in the survey saying they would quit their job if they weren’t offered any learning and development opportunities within a year.

Do businesses have a responsibility to ‘help create the talent of the future’?

Randstad CEO Sander van ’t Noordende told Fortune the company’s survey showed people with the right skills for the AI jobs boom were already in short supply—and the gap was only set to widen.

“Businesses must recognize their role in helping create the talent of the future, instead of simply waiting to find the right people on the market,” he said. “Training and development not only helps future proof the workforce, it’s also an incentive for people to stay with the company.” 

Van ‘t Noordende also argued that while reducing the AI skills gap “will be no easy feat,” employers could not rely solely on the next generation of workers entering the talent pool.

“The rate at which [the gap is narrowed] will be largely dependent on the willingness of employers to commit to upskilling their talent,” he added.

Karoli Hindriks, CEO and cofounder of employee relocation company Jobbatical, also told Fortune that employers across all industries would benefit from investing in AI training for employees at all levels in their business.

“There’s been a lot of talk about the risks of AI and the threat to jobs; upskilling is the best way to ensure AI can be an opportunity and not a threat,” she said. “Not only that, but there are serious efficiencies to be made from using AI for things like time-intensive, low value tasks. These are efficiencies that all businesses can benefit from.”

Martin Mulyadi, an accounting professor at Shenandoah University School of Business, agreed that there was a “significant” skills gap when it came to AI proficiency, which would continue to grow thanks to tools like ChatGPT and Google’s chatbot, Bard, becoming standard across industries.

However, he noted that becoming proficient in AI was about more than simply learning to operate a chatbot.

“Importantly, AI literacy involves understanding its capabilities and limitations in addition to its operation,” he said. “It is not merely a matter of utilizing AI, but of doing so effectively and ethically. AI is not a job-killer but rather a tool that can enhance our capabilities, in my opinion.

Consequently, those who can demonstrate this level of comprehensive literacy will be in high demand, which could contribute to higher salaries and better employment prospects.”

Some AI jobs already pay six figures, as employers compete for top talent in the fledgling industry.

Gen Z’s ‘undeniable’ advantage

Mulyadi also said that the lingering talent gap would present Gen Z workers with an edge when it comes to job hunting.

“Undeniably, Gen Z appears to have a significant advantage,” he said. “Growing up in the digital age makes them more receptive to technological innovations, such as AI.”

However, he noted that young people starting out their careers must take it upon themselves to ensure they can fill the AI skills gap.

“Tech savvy is not synonymous with AI literacy,” he pointed out. “Formal training that concentrates not only on upskilling but also on understanding the ethical and practical limitations of AI will be of great benefit to Gen Z. Their inherent familiarity with technology, coupled with specialized training, will likely make them invaluable assets in any future workplace that seeks to leverage AI capabilities effectively.”