AGP Executive Report

AI & Jobs Readiness: A Mercer survey finds 99% of CEOs expect AI-driven workforce reductions in the next two years, while only 32% say they’ve figured out how to blend human talent with AI—pushing workers to upskill fast. Pay Transparency: The EU Pay Transparency Directive is meant to force salary info into job ads and curb pay discrimination, but rollout is patchy across countries. Entry-Level Pressure: UAE fresh graduates face a tougher market as junior roles decline and employers demand practical experience from day one. Workplace Restructuring: CoxHealth says 53 employees were shifted or let go as coding work gets automated, with transition support offered. Hiring Moves: McDonald’s Indiana operators plan to hire about 15,400 for summer roles, with training and education pathways. Career Skills for Interviews: New guidance stresses how students should explain teamwork and problem-solving with real examples, not just titles. Graduate Career Forum: Qatar’s labour ministry backed a forum linking business/finance students to HSBC Qatar roles and CV submissions.

Career & Skills in Schools: U.S. districts are reshaping CTE to help students explore many career paths (not just “college prep”), with more work-based learning as families question ROI amid AI-driven change. Youth-to-Work Connections: Madison’s “Built from the Block” event brought businesses and public safety partners together to expose teens to trades, entrepreneurship, and real options in a community hit by violence. Workplace Growth Mindset: HR expert Jess Stuart argues “soft skills” like communication, trust-building, and adaptability are now core employability skills, not extras. Job Search Reality Check: A college grad says she was denied minimum-wage restaurant work despite a bachelor’s degree, highlighting how hiring can feel stuck even when people are ready. Early Career Pay vs Life: A tech worker shared how a high Mumbai salary didn’t translate into peace after expenses, fueling a broader conversation about what “success” really means. AI & Hiring Pressure: Coverage also flags how deceptive design and gambling “dark nudges” can trap users—an HR-adjacent reminder that systems shape behavior and outcomes.

Workforce & Skills: Qatar’s Ministry of Labour says accounting stays the top in-demand discipline, with HR management, IT and engineering also strong, and points jobseekers to the Kawader platform for private-sector roles. Education-to-Work: U.S. districts are reshaping CTE to let students explore more careers and build practical skills for an AI-shifting economy, with more work-based learning instead of one “college-only” track. Job Market Signals: A South Korea report finds nearly half of elementary teachers feel helpless dealing with parents, raising concerns about classroom protection and job satisfaction. Youth Employment: Limpopo’s Youth Month spotlight highlights women farmers building businesses that create rural jobs, including tomato suppliers supporting major food brands. Career Coaching: A founder-turned-coach urges jobseekers to stop “application loops” and use two targeted interview questions—especially asking about next steps—to improve outcomes. AI & Careers: Meta CTO Andrew Bosworth admits its Applied AI rollout was mishandled, while promising better communication, career growth and AI coaching tools. Workplace Safety: A Nottinghamshire prison case reports an agency nurse losing her job after striking an inmate, with professional conduct reviewed by regulators.

Workforce Forecast: NECU’s VC Prof Darlong Khathing warned that nearly 40% of today’s jobs could vanish by 2030, urging students to build adaptable, continuously learnable skills. Education-to-Work Pipeline: A new push in U.S. schools is reshaping CTE so students explore many career options with practical, work-based learning instead of only “college preparedness.” AI Skills for Real Jobs: Meta is investing $115M in its America’s Workforce Academy to train people for skilled trade roles tied to AI data centers, with tuition and a promised job offer for graduates. Data Center Career Pathways: Microsoft and Ivy Tech (Valparaiso) are teaming up on a data center academy with certificates, internships, and training aimed at filling Indiana employer needs. Local Career Support: A Muskegon County “Kitchen Table” forum highlighted MCC education options and UAW/Workforce partnerships for learners ages 16+. Job Market Reality Check: A Gallup-linked take argues AI “adoption” isn’t the same as trust—usage is rising, but confidence is slipping.

CTE & Skills-to-Jobs Push: A $1.4M Daniel J. Kobasic Foundation commitment is boosting Build U.P.’s CTE housing partnership, giving students hands-on construction trade experience while building local homes. HR Hiring Spotlight: Greenwood Academies Trust is recruiting a Junior People Advisor (home-based, travel, £34,434–£39,862), with support for employee relations and investigations. AI & Work Readiness: A new workforce report argues “durable” human skills—empathy, conflict resolution, ethical judgment—will matter more as AI spreads. Teen Summer Job Crunch: A U.S. report highlights how fewer teens are getting summer work, leaving job-hunting students stuck despite strong grades. Workplace Support That Keeps People Working: A UK case study shows an MND diagnosis didn’t end a production manager’s career thanks to flexible working and specialist equipment. Career Pathways in Education: EdWeek coverage says schools are shifting from “college only” to broader career exploration and practical skills, aiming to prepare students for an AI-shaped economy. Job Market Signals: A UK skills/FE roundup flags vacancies and inactivity pressures, tying them to the NEET challenge.

Workforce Training & Skills Pipelines: Central Lake Public Schools (Michigan) is bringing back driver’s education as a fall pilot, aiming to boost independence and earlier workforce readiness for students. Paid Health-Care Pathways: MaineHealth Lincoln Hospital is launching a paid CNA apprenticeship (six weeks, Sept–Oct) with a post-training work commitment. Skilled Trades Recruitment: Arizona’s APS pre-apprentice program is taking in paid trainees for lineworker, substation, meter technician and auto mechanic tracks. AI Upskilling for Job Seekers: Virtual Latinos opened the second cohort of its AI Performance Lab (July 6–10) to train remote assistants in AI literacy and build proof-of-skill projects. Media/Creative Career Access: New York’s “Made in NY” Media Academy is offering a no-cost music production bootcamp via Queensborough Community College with job placement support. Education Reform: A U.S. education shift is expanding CTE to let students explore careers broadly, not just “college first,” as AI changes what skills employers want. Job Market Pressure: Reports highlight longer, tougher job searches and rising competition, while many workers reject promotions due to stress and work-life tradeoffs.

CTE Reform in the US: Schools are moving away from “college only” tracks, expanding career and technical education so students can explore skills and pathways even if they don’t go straight to a 2- or 4-year degree. Youth Hiring & Support (UK): DWP events at Grangemouth Stadium connected 75 young jobseekers with employers and work coaches, with follow-up sessions planned. Workforce Skills for AI (South Africa): Mercer data shows workers would trade pay for AI upskilling, but HR teams lag behind C-suite AI plans—highlighting a skills-and-work redesign gap. AI Degrees Launch (US): ETS, Khan Academy and TED plan the Khan TED Institute, aiming for degrees under $10,000 with applied AI projects. Police Staffing Update (Canada): Manitoba’s RCMP vacancy rate fell below 10% after adding officers, easing long-running shortages. Construction Careers (UK): A new platform targets confusion over CSCS/CITB and other construction certifications to help workers choose the right credential path. Job Market Pressure (South Africa): TransUnion reports Gen Z is delaying homeownership as affordability and tighter lending slow the move from credit to assets. Career Pathways (US): Nebraska’s Big Red Summer Camps are reframed as college-and-career readiness, offering hands-on tracks like engineering, esports and drones. Local Leadership & Mobility (UK): A transport planning director role at SLR Consulting highlights how career pivots can happen quickly after public-sector exits.

Workforce training & credentials: Missouri’s MDHEWD celebrated MOSOC Training Program graduates, an 8-week security operations pipeline tied to youth credentials and strong placement outcomes. Education-to-career reform: A new SUNY Cortland online master’s aims to streamline teacher certification, while Kenya’s TSC is moving toward classroom-to-top promotion guidelines to reduce stagnation. Skills-first CTE shift: Education leaders are pushing CTE to broaden career exploration and practical skills, not just “college preparedness,” as families question ROI in an AI-shaped economy. Job market access points: North Texas is hosting a Wireless Industry Career Fair with 14 hiring companies, and multiple local job fairs target youth and job seekers. AI & hiring policy: California’s SB 928 would require CSU course instructors to be human-qualified faculty, aiming to keep AI from replacing teaching roles. Talent & HR leadership: Standard Chartered’s Sheila Bala highlights rewards that go beyond pay—flexibility, wellbeing, and career growth—to win talent. Career coaching resources: A new book, The Dream Job, focuses on evaluating long-term fit before accepting offers. Employment risk & fairness: Coverage also flags how employers handle job seeker feedback and how workplace monitoring and AI hiring can raise discrimination concerns.

Workforce Fraud Alert: AirAsia warned jobseekers about a fake recruitment site impersonating its careers portal, saying the only official link is careers.airasia.com and the scam demands “processing fees.” Policy & Workplace Reform: The Bahamas says labour reform drafts (Employment Act and Industrial Relations Act) are nearing completion, aiming to modernize protections and enforcement. Job Market Signals: Georgia reported 5 million-plus jobs (5,002,400) and record employment in May, while Windsor, Canada’s youth unemployment hit 20.9% for ages 15–24. AI-Driven Career Shifts: China highlighted a new “humanoid robot trainer” role as AI expands, and China also pushed an “employment-first” approach tied to AI jobs. Career Tools & Scams: U.S. Senate committee set a vote on Trump’s BLS chief nominee, and a separate push continues on AI resume builders as coaching tools. Local Hiring & Training: Córdoba Corporation opened a new El Centro office to support regional infrastructure work, with workforce training plans.

Youth Employment & Skills: San Bernardino is expanding a summer workforce readiness program that pairs high schoolers with local employers, nonprofits, and city departments for paid work, mentorship, and training in resumes, interviewing, workplace communication, and financial literacy. Career Pathways via CTE: Tuolumne County’s CTE Expo and Showcase drew 300+ students to meet educators, industry, higher ed, and skilled trades, with hands-on exposure to workforce development and local employers. Hiring Pipeline in Public Service: Wisconsin’s school staffing and funding pressures are rising as enrollment drops, with a report flagging the strain districts face serving fewer students with less money. Labor & Work Rules: Horizon Air flight attendants authorized a strike (99.8%) after long talks, escalating pressure in contract negotiations under federal mediation. Workforce Data & Policy: A U.S. Senate committee set a June 24 vote on Brett Matsumoto’s nomination to lead the Bureau of Labor Statistics, a key job-market data agency. Paid Training Programs: DWR’s apprenticeship program is opening paid training opportunities in hydroelectric and utility trades.

World Cup & Careers Spotlight: Lionel Messi’s first World Cup hat trick (Argentina 3-0 Algeria) and Kylian Mbappé’s brace for France (3-1 Senegal) are dominating headlines, but the bigger HR takeaway is how elite performance stories keep inspiring jobseekers and young talent. Education-to-Work Pipelines: JNTUA (India) signed a Germany MoU for dual B.Tech-MS degrees, aiming to boost Europe-ready job prospects; Coastal Pines Technical College is running a free application week (fee waived) for fall. Hiring & Training Programs: USA Truck launched a two-year apprenticeship for veterans, pairing pay with housing allowance support; Meta CTO flags morale concerns after layoffs, while AI is increasingly framed as a career tool (not just a threat). Workplace Reality Checks: A study finds “promotion pushback” is real—many workers turn down promotions due to added stress; UK manufacturing leaders report losing about a month a year to slow decisions. Career Advice That Lands: A biopharma interview guide warns against rambling answers; another piece shares why some candidates pivot to unpaid internships to break through a frozen market. Local Talent & Events: Leeds Manufacturing Festival Awards saw record entries, and a growing number of career fairs are expanding access for students and first-time job seekers.

Workforce Support: Kentucky’s West Kentucky Workforce Board will hold a Rapid Response Meeting for workers laid off by Precision Parcel Logistics, with free help on unemployment claims, job search, resumes, and benefits on June 17 in Paducah. AI & Careers: Microsoft’s Brad Smith tells people not to panic about AI taking jobs, pushing a calmer view of how tech will change work. WFH & Relationships: New research links high work-from-home intensity to better outcomes for some couples, but also more work-to-home conflict and loneliness for others. Media Job Cuts: Australia’s Seven Network is cutting 250–300 roles, with redundancies hitting on-air talent and disproportionately affecting women in Sydney and Melbourne newsrooms. Skills Shortages: Hays’ salary guide says skills shortages remain widespread even as pay growth stays modest, with tech still seeing fewer shortages than average but engineering hardest hit. UAE Emiratisation: A new rule requires private healthcare firms to split Emiratisation targets, with half going to specialised healthcare roles starting compliance checks in 2027. Career Moves: GFT UK appoints Andrew Nelson as CEO to drive AI-led banking transformation.

AI & Hiring Signals: PwC’s 2026 Global AI Jobs Barometer says AI is creating a two-speed labour market, with “professionalised” roles (still needing human judgment) growing faster than “democratised” roles. Job Search Tools: A new push toward AI resume builders is accelerating ATS-focused applications, as many resumes get screened before recruiters see them. Career Anxiety: Adaptavist research flags a “white-collar exodus” driven by AI fears, with large shares of US/Canada workers considering moves into less AI-exposed work. Youth Unemployment: South Africa’s Youth Day spotlighted a persistent jobs crisis, with youth unemployment still near 61% and calls for earlier, cradle-to-career support. Education-to-Work Pathways: A US report argues K-12 schools aren’t doing enough career planning beyond “college for all,” while Guam’s BTACS wants to expand career-focused education into middle school. Local Training Programs: Wayne Community College adds a Building Construction Technology program to feed construction hiring with hands-on training. Labour Market Policy: The UK DWP is partnering with LinkedIn to use anonymised data from 40m accounts to guide jobseekers toward clearer career routes.

Workforce Fairs: SM and the Philippines’ DOLE ran Araw ng Kalayaan Job Fairs across 20 SM malls, matching 21,000+ job seekers with 800+ employers and hiring 1,900 on the spot. Career Tools for Job Seekers: Gesher Human Services is hosting a free virtual LinkedIn workshop (June 23) to help casual users improve profiles, settings, and recruiter visibility. Skills + AI Upskilling: SIUC is offering free access to a Google AI Professional Certificate via Grow with Google, focused on practical, responsible AI use for career growth. Hiring Market Signals: A new report argues AI is making manufacturing careers more secure by boosting demand for skilled production roles, while urging employers to sell the reality of modern shop-floor work to young talent. Local Job Listings: Buckrail Works highlighted “Jobs of the Week” including roles like line cook, financial controller, and shop operations manager. Career Advice for Professionals: A new piece shares how to get AI to “love your resume,” alongside tips for navigating a tougher job market.

AI & Hiring: PwC’s 2026 Global AI Jobs Barometer says AI is creating a two-track labour market—AI-boosted “professionalised” roles are growing faster, while “democratised” roles face pressure; it also flags rising demand for human skills like judgement and leadership. Career Tactics: A job seeker strategy story argues you can jump from INR 10L to INR 80L by building AI-driven, role-specific projects instead of relying only on CVs. Work Abroad Shift: Student Circus reports a big rise in abroad students engaging with India-based employers, suggesting the “work overseas” plan is losing some shine. Local Jobs & Skills: Hexaware is opening a GIFT City delivery center in Gujarat, targeting ~1,000 high-skilled jobs in AI, cloud, data and digital transformation. Youth & Inclusion: Sogang University and Korea’s Justice Ministry will fund refugee-background students with scholarships plus language, academic support and career help. Recruitment Anxiety: Reports highlight fears of AI ageism in hiring and how AI may make entry-level expectations more demanding. Training & Trades: A UK graduate is retraining as a plumber, saying she wants practical work “AI can’t take over.”

Registrar Vacancy Fallout: Cameroon’s GCE Board is still operating under a Transition Management Team, with critics saying the lack of a named Registrar may be linked to exam leakage and governance gaps. Hiring & Training Push: Ireland’s Dovida is running a National Hiring Day (June 18) for home-care roles, training, and career progression, while Singapore reports only 2 in 5 employers offer flexible work despite jobseekers prioritizing it. Job Market Signals: Canada’s latest stats show unemployment easing in Barrie (8.7% vs 9.2% in April), but youth unemployment remains a concern. AI Career Anxiety: Coverage highlights how AI is reshaping entry-level hiring and pushing graduates toward roles that still “work,” plus a Singapore focus on forward-deployed engineering as a hot AI-linked job. Skills Over Degrees: Goa’s CM urges young people to upskill for AI-era work, and multiple pieces stress employers scan resumes fast and want job-posting language. Careers in Action: A Bay of Plenty event pairs horticulture competition with “Cultivate Your Career” pathways for hundreds of students.