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Utah educators and industry leaders push human-centered AI training to upskill incumbent workers
Summary
Panelists at a Utah Business and Commerce event said employers flagged gaps among current employees who already have AI tools but lack training; universities and state programs outlined grants, apprenticeships and curriculum changes to embed AI skills across fields.
SALT LAKE CITY — Higher-education and workforce leaders told a Utah Business and Commerce panel that preparing workers for AI means starting with people, not just tools. "Human centered. It's never about the tech. It's about the people," said Astrid Tominez, president of Utah Valley University, summarizing the panel's central theme.
The discussion centered on a Talent Ready Utah employer study and concrete steps institutions are taking to embed AI skills. According to the panel, Talent Ready Utah gathered input from about 700 employers statewide and received 603 responses to the study's AI section; an official with the agency said employers repeatedly flagged skill gaps among the incumbent workforce — the employees already on the job who may have AI installed but are not confident it is being used effectively.
"We have to continue to invest in AI training — in accelerating the way that we train our incumbent workforce," said the Talent Ready Utah official (referred to in the panel as Vic). He described the state's approach as a "total talent continuum," spanning K‑12 CTE pathways,…
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