Skilling & upskilling in AI & ML amid fears of job loss and talent shortage

With Artificial Intelligence’s (AI) increasing integration into core business operations, organisations are recognising the demand for dedicated AI leadership positions. A staggering 60% of leaders express concerns about the insufficiency of their AI strategies as per the 2024 Work Trend Index Annual Report by Microsoft and LinkedIn.

According to a report by the Indian Brand Equity Foundation (IBEF) titled “Future of Data Science and AI in India 2023” the market for AI is expected to reach US$ 7.8 billion by 2025 in India. These reports rightly emphasise the crucial role of AI alongside digital proficiency.

The growing demand for AI-driven decision-making across industries highlights the rising demand for skilled professionals who can transform raw data into actionable insights. However, there’s a substantial 51% disparity in between the demand and supply of AI/ machine learning (ML) BDA tech talent in India as highlighted by NASSCOM’s State of Data Science & AI Skills in India report.

According to the Analytics and Data Science Jobs in India report, 2023, jobs for data science professionals with two to five years of experience grew by 34%. Another report by Grand View Research, 2023 highlights that the global AI market is expected to reach a staggering by 2030, fuelling a surge in data science jobs. These data rightly emphasise the need for advanced courses in AI programming.

Amidst the fear that AI is a job eater, many community colleges and tech companies are looking to new two-year AI programs.

The Tech Panda takes a look at the efforts at skilling in the tech industry to keep pace with AI and ML.

Global tie up to bring Scrum & Agile training & certification

edForce, a Workforce Upskilling Accelerator, tied up with SCRUMstudy, a globally recognized accreditation body for Scrum and Agile training and certification, headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona, USA.

SCRUMstudy is renowned for providing comprehensive training and certification programs in Scrum and Agile methodologies, empowering professionals worldwide to excel in project management, IT operations, and DevOps practices. With a commitment to delivering high-quality education, SCRUMstudy offers a wide range of certifications, including Scrum Master, Scrum Developer, Scrum Product Owner, Agile Master, and Scaled Scrum certifications, among others.

With this partnership, edForce will make SCRUMStudy’s AI-powered SaaS Platform accessible to its clients, enhancing the learning experience and providing hands-on exposure to project management tools. In addition, the partnership will also provide the industry-first Scrum certifications tailored for IT Operations and DevOps environments, ensuring relevance and applicability in today’s business contexts.

Chief Digital and AI Officer programme

ISB Executive Education launched the Chief Digital and AI Officer programme along with Emeritus. This claims to be the first-of-its-kind programme launched by any Indian Academic Institution.

Mohan Kannegal, CEO, India and APAC, Emeritus, said, “The rapid evolution of digital technologies and the increasing integration of AI into business operations has made it necessary for leaders to navigate this dynamic landscape effectively.”

The 30-week online Chief Digital and AI Officer programme caters to senior professionals at CXO levels and mid to senior professionals at pre-CXO levels. It aims to empower seasoned digital transformation leaders with the expertise to strategically harness digital technologies and AI advancements for organisational advancement and innovation.

The eligibility includes Graduates (10+2+3) and Diploma holders (10+2+3) from a recognised university (UGC/AICTE/DEC/AIU/State Government/recognised international universities) with a minimum of ten years of work experience. The programme starts on June 30, 2024, with a fee of INR 6,00,000 + GST.

The program includes live online sessions delivered by top ISB Executive Education faculty and industry experts, real-life case studies, a Capstone project, a 1-day in-campus immersion at the ISB Executive Education and an opportunity for peer-to-peer networking.

It includes modules such as the Digitalisation landscape and the impact of disruption, leading emerging technologies, continuous innovation with AI, business models for AI-led business, and generative AI business applications among others.

On successful completion of the programme, participants will receive a certificate of completion from ISB Executive Education and gain the ISB Executive Alumni Status.

70 Skills & Incubation Hubs for global employment in Drone, IoT, Agriculture

The National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) and AVPL International tied up to establish 70 Skills and Incubation Hubs for global employment in Drone, IoT, Agriculture and allied sectors across India.

Under this partnership, AVPL International will also upgrade the existing training facilities at 50 locations to Global Skills and Incubation Hubs (GISH) across 12 Indian states. These hubs will offer certificate courses from prestigious institutions such as the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) and Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs), in collaboration with the NSDC Academy.

Additionally, dual certification programs with international accreditation bodies will be available through NSDC International. These efforts aim to empower Indian youth with the skills needed for global employment opportunities.

The comprehensive training programs will encompass cutting-edge fields such as drone technology, the Internet of Things (IoT), agriculture, and allied sectors. The initiative aims to train 1,40,000 candidates annually, equipping them with IIT-certified courses and internationally recognized accreditations.

12-month incubation initiative to accelerate growth of early-stage to growth-stage AI/ML startups

MATH, a hub for AI and ML technologies and a collaborative effort between the Department of Science and Technology (DST) and T-Hu launched the MATH Nuage Program. This 12-month incubation initiative is designed to accelerate the growth of early-stage to growth-stage AI/ML startups.

Rahul Paith, CEO, MATH, said, “With India’s AI market projected to reach $17 billion by 2027, there is a growing need to provide startups with essential support.”

For startups interested in participating, the application process involves submitting detailed information about their technology, team composition, and specific operational requirements online. The selection process includes rigorous initial screening, subsequent interviews, and presentations to an external jury. The program is set to begin on August 1, 2024, with a mid-term review scheduled for February 2025, and the graduation and demo day slated for July 2025.

Startups will receive personalized one-on-one mentoring from industry veterans. The program also facilitates direct connections with potential investors. It assists startups in identifying and entering target markets.

Participants will gain access to discounted GPUs and cloud credits. A standout feature of the program is NAIM (Nurturing AI Minds), a specialized Learning Management System (LMS) that offers tailored educational resources and training modules. Startups can also leverage extensive datasets through data lake access for training and validating their AI models.

The MATH Nuage Program commences with an intensive onboarding phase aimed at assessing and tailoring support to meet the specific needs of each participating startup. Following this, startups enter an implementation phase where they receive personalized mentoring, essential infrastructure, and access to crucial resources. Throughout the program, periodic evaluations ensure that support is continuously refined to optimize startup growth and readiness for independent scaling.

Data science & AI program empowering next-gen AI-powered data scientists

Acknowledging the need to bridge this gap in demand and supply of AI/machine learning (ML) BDA tech talent in India, Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT), Bangalore has announced the launch of its Data Science and AI programme.

The 16-week online Data Science and AI Programme is specifically curated for early professionals seeking a solid understanding of Python, data science, and foundational knowledge of machine learning and generative AI applications. It also caters to mid-managers looking to apply these concepts to data science, machine learning, and generative AI projects, equipping them with the skills needed to excel in a rapidly evolving digital landscape.

VIT has introduced this programme to equip learners with the essential skills required to become an AI-powered data scientist. Through the integration of open sources libraries like Pandas and Matplotlib in the curriculum, participants will master Python, industry-standard language and will gain expertise in leveraging AI techniques. The machine learning algorithms will enable them to tackle real-world challenges and unlock the hidden potential of data. By bridging the gap between data analysis and intelligent decision-making, VIT empowers professionals to excel in the rapidly evolving digital landscape.

The Programme includes in-depth exploration of ML algorithms, including supervised and unsupervised learning, as well as time series analysis. Delivered by VIT Bangalore’s renowned faculty expert in Data Science, ML & AI, the programme offers recorded as well as live sessions and an industry-tailored curriculum.

It also features hands-on Jupyter notebook exercises, real-world case studies for Python-based data science exploration, as well as live interactive masterclasses for Generative AI and other modules to help learners understand concepts effectively.

Moreover, the programme comes at a cost-effective price point, making quality education more accessible to a wider audience. The programme includes modules such as popular data science packages in python, data visualisation with Matplotlib, and intro to machine learning and python libraries, alongside GenAI modules such as foundations, Python implementation, data science applications and synthetic data creation among others.