AGP Executive Report

Workforce Training Grants: The U.S. is expanding federal “workforce Pell” aid for short-term job training, but California says it isn’t ready for the federal timeline. Skills for the Real Job: South Africa is replacing legacy TVET qualifications with 948 occupational qualifications that combine knowledge, practical skill, and structured workplace experience—aimed at lifting low throughput. AI and Human Skills: A new report argues AI can’t replace “durable” human skills like empathy, judgment, and conflict resolution—useful for career planning in an anxious job market. Skilled Trades Push: Google pledges $50M to train skilled workers for AI-era infrastructure needs, while a separate piece highlights the ongoing skilled labor shortage. Workplace Modernization: Memphis Light, Gas & Water is asking employees to reapply as job classifications change with new tech and new supervisory roles. Entry-Level Hiring: An HVAC contractor in Dubuque is recruiting entry-level service technicians with a structured path into the trade. Youth Employment: The Cherokee Nation is funding summer career pathways for 1,500+ young people with pay, career exploration, and work experience. Security Awareness: A cybersecurity training series with Conan O’Brien targets AI-enabled phishing and impersonation scams.

AI & Jobs Narrative Shift: Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg told staff the company has “made mistakes” during its AI-driven workforce overhaul, as leaders try to calm fears of a white-collar wipeout and reframe AI as something that changes roles rather than ends work. Education-to-Work Pressure: South Africa’s Higher Education Department is phasing out pre-2009 TVET/NATED modules to modernize skills, but an economist warns it could unsettle students if job outcomes aren’t clear. Workforce Training With Guarantees: Meta and mikeroweWORKS’ $115M trade-training push highlights a growing push for employer-backed pathways into skilled jobs. Career Skills That Don’t Get Automated: A monk-turned-IIT graduate argues “irreplaceability” comes from human qualities like calm under pressure, generosity, and equal respect—not just credentials. Hiring & HR Practice: HR leaders are urged to bridge academia-industry gaps (Ghana) and to build workplaces that Gen Z will actually stay in. Immigration Pathway Change: Canada’s Manitoba abruptly closed its PR Career Employment Pathway for international graduates, redirecting eligible candidates to other work-based routes. Practical Career Moves: A four-step plan targets people facing sudden income drops, while guidance covers returning to work after leave and landing a first summer job amid weaker hiring. Skills/Training in Action: Kuwait’s education ministry launched training for school leadership roles, and Intel marked 20 years in Vietnam while highlighting STEM talent development.

Workforce & Hiring: Northern Michigan teen unemployment hit 18% as 250,000 teens hunt for summer work but only 207,000 find jobs, pushing employers to hire more young workers. Job Fairs: The Philippines’ Independence Day fair in Tuguegarao offered 1,500 vacancies and hired about 30 on the spot, while Illinois’ WSIL highlighted a July Marion job fair and local school hiring. Training-to-Work Pipelines: Fort Madison, Iowa is expanding Registered Apprenticeships to close a technician gap, and Fort Madison’s auto program is building a direct route to skilled jobs. Labor Risk: UPS’s UK restructuring could cut frontline jobs from about 4,000 to 800 and shift drivers to self-employed couriers, with Unite warning of possible industrial action. HR Leadership Moves: Bend-La Pine Schools named Tony Sanchez as chief HR officer, and Akraya earned a top Bay Area “Best Places to Work” ranking for its people-first culture. Workplace Culture & Safety: A new report stresses holistic workforce safety (physical, emotional, cultural) as leaders face rising workplace violence and safety training needs. Legal/Policy Watch: Courts and regulators continue to shape employment disputes, including skepticism in an Amazon caregiver-bias case and a dismissed challenge to an EEOC trans-bias shift.

Job Fairs & Immediate Hiring: Independence Day events in the Philippines drew about 1,000 applicants for roughly 1,500 openings, with dozens hired on the spot, plus extra support for students and child labor cases. Workforce Training for Seniors: Philippines’ OSCA is expanding employment, skills training, scholarships, and computer literacy for older adults, including incentives for employers who hire seniors and people with disabilities. AI & Hiring Reality Check: A developer says a layoff after eight years felt “100% blindsided,” arguing cost-cutting and AI are reshaping tech jobs faster than workers expect. AI Skills Anxiety: UK parents report rising worry that AI will hurt kids’ chances at first jobs, pushing employers to spotlight apprenticeships and technical pathways. AI Upskilling in Public Sector: Wealden District Council launched an AI Academy with East Sussex College, training staff through an apprenticeship focused on practical, ethical AI use. Workplace Safety & Accountability: A UK NHS trust was downgraded after CQC concerns over staffing, escalation, record-keeping, and incident learning—raising pressure for urgent reforms. Digital Career Pathways: Accor and Inspired By KM rolled out “ibis unlocked” to help NEET youth rebuild confidence, skills, and access to jobs through blended support. Training Infrastructure: Kenya’s maritime academy is building a major survival training and certification center to reduce reliance on overseas courses and speed up job-ready credentials.

Workforce Training Push: Kentucky’s Team Kentucky, backed by the Bluegrass State Skills Corp., is funding industry-specific training for 7,400+ workers, including major employers like Baptist Health Deaconess, Toyota suppliers, and Sumitomo. Job Security & Restructuring: Arriva’s consultation over closing the Dormanstown depot in Redcar raises fears of job losses, but officials and local partners are offering interviews and alternative roles. Recruiting & AI: At the IBA M&A conference, in-house legal leaders said AI is reshaping legal work and staffing, making adaptability a must. Talent Acquisition Events: The ERE Recruiting Innovation Summit returns to San Diego in November, focusing on AI-driven hiring and employer branding. Safety Training for Careers: South Texas College expands CDL training with OSHA 10 plus Hazmat prep starting July 1. Workplace Compliance: A new U.S. menopause policy update shows the issue is moving fast into employer accommodation and benefits planning. Skills Pathways: Community colleges are highlighted as a practical way for workers to prove they can use new skills—not just learn them. Global Displacement: With 117.8M forcibly displaced, the IRC is pushing for safer pathways and rebuilding support.

Lifelong Learning Boost (UK): York College and York St John University are among the first approved providers for the Government’s Lifelong Learning Entitlement, offering short, modular courses so adults can retrain or upskill without full-time study. AI Skills at Work (UK): Shoosmiths is funding a second £1m bonus pot and rolling out an AI fluency accreditation (from basic awareness to AI leaders) to build practical workplace capability. Enterprise AI Rollout (Global): TCS and Anthropic are partnering to equip 50,000 TCS employees with Claude AI via enterprise licensing, aiming to speed adoption in regulated industries. Skilled Trades With Job Guarantees (US): Meta’s America’s Workforce Academy is launching a paid bootcamp in Indianapolis (and other cities) to train technicians for AI data-center infrastructure with credentials and a job guarantee. Workplace Rights Update (UK): New Employment Rights Act provisions are now enforceable, including expanded sick pay and “day one” parental and bereavement leave. Hiring & Training Pipeline (UK/England-Wales): Connect to Work is already helping thousands of disabled people and those with health conditions into secure jobs, with plans to scale to 300,000 by decade’s end. Job Market Reality Check (US): A Fed study finds oil-price shocks are now far less tied to employment than in the 1970s, even as supply disruptions remain severe. Career Fraud Warning (India): Bengaluru police arrested a father-daughter duo accused of cheating 40+ job aspirants out of Rs 5.3 crore with fake government job orders and training centers. Cybersecurity & Productivity (Global): Experts warn “MFA fatigue” is growing as employees face constant logins, pushing firms toward passkeys, biometrics, and single sign-on to reduce friction without weakening security. Youth Employment (US): Atlanta’s summer program is starting teen orientation and training as hiring slows, giving first-time workers real workplace experience. Employee Well-being & Morale (US/UK): KPMG’s removal of its summer Friday early-finish perk is hitting morale, showing how benefits changes can quickly affect career sentiment.

Workplace Skills Verification: SHRM CEO Johnny C. Taylor Jr. warns about “skillfishing,” saying AI makes polished resumes easier to fake, so employers should look for proof like portfolios, certifications, and real project work before interviews. AI Training Gap in Higher Ed: Inside Higher Ed finds only 22% of campus CTOs say students get adequate cybersecurity training, while faculty/staff are far more covered—raising risk as AI accelerates phishing. Skilled Trades Pipeline: Meta’s $115M America’s Workforce Academy expands paid training and job guarantees for roles like welders, plumbers, and electricians, while New Zealand’s NZ On Air and Netflix back a screen-industry crew program with classroom + on-set placements. Human Trafficking Detection: Columbus, Ga. investigators say specialized training is improving victim identification during routine stops, leading to more rescues and arrests. Workforce Intermediaries: Northwest Arkansas Council names David Giesige to coordinate education-to-workforce pathways regionwide. Employer Safety: Cal/OSHA urges California employers to prevent heat illness with water, rest, shade, and required training. Campus Free Speech Training: Oklahoma’s new law requires freedom of speech training and limits viewpoint discrimination at public colleges. Job Fair Focus: DICT-Davao hosts an ICT job fair to connect digital talent with BPO and IT openings.

AI Upskilling Push: JA Worldwide and IBM are expanding IBM SkillsBuild to deliver practical AI and digital learning for 1 million high-school students across 25+ countries, aiming to close the skills gap for the future of work. Workforce Training Access: Bermuda College and Google are offering 500 free scholarships for self-paced Grow with Google Career Certificates, covering paths like cybersecurity, data analytics, IT support, and AI Essentials. Hiring & Career Pathways: CAVA plans to hire 2,500+ people in 2026 and add clearer career ladders and leadership training, including a new assistant general manager role to stabilize staffing. Job Search Reality Check: A UK government AI job assistant is being trialed to help people draft CVs and apply for roles, but users are already testing how well it handles real-world “employability.” Employer Compliance & Labor Enforcement: South Africa says it will recruit 10,000 new labor inspectors to crack down on employers hiring undocumented foreign nationals. On-the-Job Skills: A supported internship program is helping young adults build workplace confidence at the National Memorial Arboretum through hands-on grounds and landscape work. Education-to-Work Gap: A UK report warns AI adoption is outpacing leadership training, leaving firms with modest productivity gains and a shortage of managers ready to scale AI.

Meta Workforce Academy: Meta is rolling out “America’s Workforce Academy” with $115M for free, paid training and guaranteed job offers aimed at building AI data-center infrastructure workforces in Louisiana and beyond. AI hiring rules: Connecticut’s new AI law requires employers to disclose when automated tools materially influence hiring, discipline, or termination decisions, with notice timelines starting in 2027. Job market snapshot: The Philippines reports unemployment easing to 4.7% in April (2.41M jobless), while underemployment rises—an important reminder that “more jobs” doesn’t always mean “better jobs.” Workforce development locally: Northeast Iowa Community College honored six employer partners for scholarships, internships, and career support tied to local hiring needs. Training for real-world skills: Wonderseekers at Winchester Science Centre launched a paid, part-time visitor operations assistant role for ages 16–24 with an application process that doesn’t require a CV. Public safety hiring: Palm Beach State College hosts a Public Safety Job Fair June 11 with 40+ agencies offering pathways and paid academies.

Workforce Upskilling (California): California is putting $5 million into farmworker career ladders via the Farmworkers Advancement Program, funding groups that train workers in English, math, and digital literacy to boost long-term earnings. AI & Skills Equity: A new report warns AI productivity gains could widen inequality unless governments and employers expand access to skills, literacy, and opportunity. Remote Entry Jobs: Resume Genius says some of the highest-paying entry-level roles are fully remote, with salaries topping nearly $120K in 2026. Robotics Data From Workers: Instawork is rolling out a wearable camera system to turn gig workers into real-world data collectors for training robots. Skilled Trades Pipeline (Meta): Meta is funding America’s Workforce Academy with $115M for data-centre technician training, ending in guaranteed job offers after completion. Workplace Tech Rules (UK): The British Retail Consortium warns Employment Rights Act reforms could reduce flexible work in retail if “low-hours” rules are poorly designed. Healthcare Security: Geisinger will expand entrance security screenings across its hospitals to keep weapons out and reduce violence risks. Global Hiring Signals: Vietnam’s hiring outlook stays positive for Q3, while China’s unemployment insurance fund has slipped into deficit as jobless claims rise.

AI Skills & Hiring: Meta is funding a cost-free “America’s Workforce Academy” to train data center technicians, with guaranteed job offers via contractors; the first Baton Rouge class is part of a four-city rollout. Apprenticeships Push: U.S. lawmakers backed the WAGES Act, proposing a refundable payroll tax credit for employers that run Registered Apprenticeship Programs. Trade Training Expansion: Greenville County Schools and Greenville Tech are expanding welding capacity with a new Center for Welding and Automation Excellence to address a national shortage. Workplace Rules & Compliance: Connecticut’s SB 5 creates targeted AI requirements covering high-risk uses, including automated employment decision tech, with phased deadlines. Pay Transparency: The EU Pay Transparency Directive transposition deadline has passed, leaving employers scrambling on what to do next. Career Outcomes Pressure: A UK report says many low-performing university grads end up earning less than minimum wage within five years, raising calls for fewer places and fee/loan reforms. Safety & Training Access: Free CPR/AED and “Stop the Bleed” classes are scheduled in Saugatuck, Michigan, with limited hands-on spots. Labor Market Reality Check: A Fed study finds oil shocks now have far less impact on employment than in the 1970s.

AI & Work Skills: Malaysia’s communications ministry wants a “prompt engineer” at every National Information Dissemination Centre to build AI literacy beyond just using tools. Trades as a hedge: A UK psychology graduate is retraining as a plumber, saying she wants a practical career “AI can’t take over.” Youth employment pipelines: Marks & Spencer is launching paid traineeships for 1,000 young people (no degree required) and the UK is rolling out an Early Careers Jobs Alliance with AI/tech training plus AI bootcamps. Hiring reality check: A new survey finds employers trust resumes less, yet still use them first—raising the risk of costly misrepresentation, including AI-generated CVs. Workplace learning & retention: Workday highlights employee-centric AI upskilling as a way to close skill gaps, while QNB rolls out a wellbeing framework tying mental, physical, and financial health to performance. Corporate training market: A report forecasts the corporate training market growing to $805.6B by 2035, driven by virtual learning and personalized upskilling.

Skills-first education push: Bangladesh’s PM Tarique Rahman urged a shift from certificate-based schooling to skills-and-technology, job-oriented training, launching a program to train 12,000 college teachers. Bridging classroom to work: PMI and Cannes Lions launched the LIONS Educators Forum to close gaps in collaboration, project execution, and adaptability between universities and employers. Inclusive employment: Pennsylvania expanded its InVEST program for people with disabilities, with Philadelphia’s School District hiring 14 former students into real roles. Hiring access in Canada: Enabled Talent Canada’s “One Company. One Talent.” campaign asks employers to create at least one opportunity for people with disabilities or underrepresented groups. Workplace safety & flexibility: Labour departments reminded employers to offer reasonable, flexible arrangements after storms and extreme weather. AI and job search tools: A surge in AI resume builders and headshot generators targets ATS screening and recruiter first impressions. Labour market reality check: Pakistan’s vocational-education argument says trades can offer steadier work and lower automation risk than many degree paths. Career disruption: Spirit Airlines’ collapse leaves thousands rebuilding careers, with seniority and pay resets a major hurdle. Local workforce pipeline: North Zulch’s church coffee house employs high school students for credit-linked hospitality experience. Education policy in the US: Auburn’s board moved to replace faculty senate with a new academic advisory council and curriculum policy under HB520.

Skills-first education: Bangladesh’s PM Tarique Rahman inaugurated a national training push for 12,000 college teachers to shift universities toward skills-based, job-oriented learning, with mandatory internships/apprenticeships and tighter industry-academia links. AI with guardrails: The Philippines’ DepEd says AI can be used as a support tool in lesson planning, but teacher judgment stays central and misuse must be accountable. Workforce mobility: Arizona’s Boys & Girls Clubs is testing Waymo teen accounts to help 14–17-year-old interns get to paid summer placements when transit options fall short. Inclusive hiring: India’s Navi Mumbai “Mitti Cafe” at the airport trains and employs people with disabilities, drawing high-level attention from Maharashtra’s CM. Women in tech: Odisha (India) launched AI Careers for Women to train 1,000 students this year, scaling to 5,000 by 2028. Career switching wins: A UK data analyst turned app developer after a funded web development bootcamp, showing how practical training can pivot careers fast.

Workforce Training That Starts From Zero: Dycom Industries is building a 49-acre “fake town” in Georgia where new hires can practice trade skills for data-center jobs, with two weeks paid vacation on day one as a recruiting hook. Hiring at Scale: The Baltimore Ravens are running a job fair at M&T Bank Stadium for “hundreds” of roles across concessions, security, and stadium services. AI Skills Push for Youth: Intel’s Digital Readiness bootcamp at Vignan’s University wrapped up after project-based AI training for 80 students, while Odisha signed MoUs to train about 1,000 girls a year in AI and emerging tech with Microsoft support. Career Access vs. Pay Pressure: Kuwait’s Ministry of Social Affairs ordered cooperative-society employees to use a fingerprint attendance system (three scans daily) and urged hiring young Kuwaitis for summer experience. Labor Tension: Punjab ITI pass-outs were lathi-charged during a protest outside PSPCL HQ in Patiala, with injuries reported and demands tied to assistant lineman recruitment and regularisation. Job Market Reality Check: A South Africa youth-unemployment piece argues qualifications aren’t enough anymore—young people must build experience and momentum themselves.

TVET 2.0 Funding Boost (Malaysia): Malaysia will channel up to RM50 million from the Skills Development Fund Corporation’s High-Impact Programme into TVET 2.0, with new study fields like hydrogen energy technology, MRO, and maritime engineering—plus early emerging-skills training (AI, crypto, energy transition) for selected students starting July. Workforce Pipeline Results (Malaysia): MARA reports 270 TVET institutions hitting a 99.5% graduate employability rate, with industry agreements aimed at full absorption into jobs. AI Literacy for Leaders (Qatar): Qatar’s sports leaders are getting generative AI training via Qatar Olympic Academy and Google Cloud, focusing on responsible use in planning, communications, and decision-making. Job-Search Reality Check (US): A Dayton CBP recruitment expo turned questions into action, generating 157 applications from 100 people for careers in customs and border enforcement. Healthcare Policy Awareness Gap (US): A survey finds 55% of Medicaid enrollees didn’t know about planned 2027 work requirements that could affect coverage. Hospitality Hiring & Retention: Hospitality employers are being warned that onboarding—not just hiring—drives early turnover, with structured onboarding linked to better retention. Labor Pressure at World Cup Venues (US): Unite HERE members at SoFi Stadium voted to authorize a strike amid stalled contract talks, pay and job-security concerns tied to immigration enforcement. Trade Training Demand (US): Greenville Tech is expanding welding pathways as local students face long waitlists, highlighting how trade schools are feeding high-demand jobs.