AI and the Future of Talent Collaborative
Developing solutions to build a resilient, AI-ready workforce
As AI accelerates change across every sector, business and higher education alike grapple with pressing questions about how work is evolving, what skills are needed, and how to prepare people at every level to adapt. Employers need their workforce to use AI thoughtfully and strategically, and educators need guidance on how to align learning with an increasingly hybrid human–AI workplace.
In addition to AI literacy, these shifts require a shared understanding of how people and organizations can grow with AI over time. BHEF’s AI & the Future of Talent Collaborative (AI Collaborative) brings together leaders across industry and higher education to surface common challenges, identify critical gaps, and inform the design of new solutions to keep companies competitive and prepare learners to thrive in an AI-enabled workplace.
Why AI Talent Readiness Matters Now
With today’s pace of technological advancements, companies cannot afford to treat AI readiness as an experiment. Without a workforce prepared to use AI responsibly and effectively, competitiveness and ROI are at risk. Business leaders know where AI is reshaping work. Higher education has the infrastructure and scale to meet that demand. The AI Collaborative unites the two, enabling speed-to-action for solutions.
Collaborative in Action
By analyzing labor market trends, employer needs, and emerging technologies, we identify where disruption is happening, where it’s headed, and what it means for the future of work. We connect macro trends to local realities, helping employers and higher education reimagine credential pathways, redesign training programs, and ensure that upskilling efforts are relevant.
This initiative focuses on four key areas:
- Define the disruption to map AI’s impact across sectors, occupations, and regions
- Translate the impacts into actionable talent strategies
- Lead a national effort to define the AI skills needed for the workforce
- Create a space for a community of leaders poised to act
The AI-Enabled Professional Framework
To cut through the hype and create a practical way to think about skills needed in an AI-transformed workplace, BHEF partnered with leaders across industries and higher education to develop the AI-Enabled Professional Framework. Informed by input from over a hundred cross-industry leaders, the framework identifies the human and technical competencies people need to use AI thoughtfully, responsibly, and effectively.
Employer-validated and industry-agnostic, the framework gives companies and universities a shared language for what it really means to be AI-ready, and, most importantly, gives a pathway to get talent there. And, while it was built for today’s generative AI environment, the framework is designed to evolve as technology advances.
AI Collaborative Advisors
The AI Collaborative is guided by leading voices in business and higher education who are innovating workforce readiness for the AI era.
*Indicates network champion.
Who This Collaborative Serves
- For employers: Define AI-ready skills, expand talent pools, accelerate AI workforce transformation strategies, and ensure you are preparing the resilient workforce your organization needs
- For higher education: Align curricula and programs with market demand, prepare learners for professional success, and better engage with leading employers
- For funders and policymakers: Understand and support proven, business-informed models that can scale impact
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