The nature of work is changing rapidly and dramatically. Advances in technology are eliminating some jobs, transforming others, and, in some cases, creating jobs we never even imagined. In WorkingNation’s weekly podcast Work in Progress, we speak with leaders in business, education, government, and nonprofits about what’s being done to train and reskill American men and women to ensure they can compete for, and qualify for, good-paying, in-demand jobs today and in the future. Work in Progress is hosted and executive produced by WorkingNation Editor-in-Chief Ramona Schindelheim. Produced by Larry Buhl.
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The nature of work is changing rapidly and dramatically. Advances in technology are eliminating some jobs, transforming others, and, in some cases, creating jobs we never even imagined. In WorkingNation’s weekly podcast Work in Progress, we speak with leaders in business, education, government, and nonprofits about what’s being done to train and reskill American men and women to ensure they can compete for, and qualify for, good-paying, in-demand jobs today and in the future. Work in Progress is hosted and executive produced by WorkingNation Editor-in-Chief Ramona Schindelheim. Produced by Larry Buhl.
AI skills are a ‘must-have,’ but employers want more
Work In Progress
20 minutes 55 seconds
9 months ago
AI skills are a ‘must-have,’ but employers want more
In this episode of the Work in Progress podcast, we're talking about AI skills – there are more than you might think – and about the other must-have skills that employers are looking for today. I'm joined in conversation by Marni Baker Stein, chief content officer for Coursera, one of the largest online learning platform in the world.
Through partnerships with more than 350 leading universities and companies – Google, IBM, Yale, and Duke, to name a few – Coursera has helped more than 168 million people learners build new skills.
Stein says the rapid implementation of Chat-GPT and other AI products is having a "cascading effect across all sectors, all job roles, and all skills across disciplines. The Future of Jobs report [from the World Economic Forum] found that 50% of employers plan to reorient their business in response to AI.
"And 85% of those employers say they plan to upskill their workforce in response to these skills gaps," says Stein. She adds that a large number of those employers are saying that they prefer job applicants that have verified AI skills.
Coursera's own analysis of the fastest-growing skills for 2025 confirms that demand. "There is no doubt about it that if you don't already have AI skills, you absolutely need to develop them. (Additionally), you absolutely need to develop them very specifically for the job that you're in and the job tasks that you're doing," she emphatically points out.
In the podcast, we go into depth about what those skills actually look like – what you need to learn how to do. We also discuss the top non-tech skills all employers want. Of course, we talk about how jobseekers and workers can get those skills.
You can listen to the entire conversation here, or wherever you get your podcasts. You can also find our podcasts on the Work in Progress YouTube channel.
Episode 351: Marni Baker Stein, chief content officer, CourseraHost & Executive Producer: Ramona Schindelheim, Editor-in-Chief, WorkingNationProducer: Larry BuhlTheme Music: Composed by Lee Rosevere and licensed under CC by 4Transcript: Download the transcript for this episode hereWork in Progress Podcast: Catch up on previous episodes here
Work In Progress
The nature of work is changing rapidly and dramatically. Advances in technology are eliminating some jobs, transforming others, and, in some cases, creating jobs we never even imagined. In WorkingNation’s weekly podcast Work in Progress, we speak with leaders in business, education, government, and nonprofits about what’s being done to train and reskill American men and women to ensure they can compete for, and qualify for, good-paying, in-demand jobs today and in the future. Work in Progress is hosted and executive produced by WorkingNation Editor-in-Chief Ramona Schindelheim. Produced by Larry Buhl.
