The EIT Deep Tech Talent Initiative was excited to play a part in one of the sessions at NVIDIA GTC AI Conference, which is taking place in California this week.
Francesca Barisani, Outreach and Stakeholders Manager of the Initiative, was a member of the expert panel in the ‘Navigating AI Careers in Europe’ virtual session on Tuesday 19th March.
AI: The most in-demand skill
Advancements in AI models over the last 12-18 months, such as generative AI and the accessibility of advanced AI applications, have created countless opportunities for businesses and the scientific community, this accelerating the demand for AI, computing, and HPC programming skills across the European job market.
Together with representatives from NVIDIA (who has recently become an EIT Deep Tech Talent Initiative Pledger), Nokia, the Leibniz Supercomputing Centre and WeAreDevelopers, Francesca discussed what the biggest difficulty job applicants face when seeking positions in the tech space, and what can be done to close the most glaring gaps in deep tech in Europe. The discussion also touched base on what can be done to ensure underrepresented groups entering the workforce continue to grow in their careers, and what the latest trends are in how universities are adapting to the push into deep tech.
The best advice if you are looking to get into tech
- Stay curious! Network and contribute to online communities, even if you are a relative junior in your career and find a mentor. You can also investigate different non-AI ways to get into your dream company, and then make a switch to an AI path once you are in.
- Every company now, and in the future, is a tech company. Everything runs on technology, and Gen Z are very tech savvy. So don’t be afraid, go out and go after tech and AI jobs. We need innovative people working in AI.
- Never stop learning and studying because the digital landscape changes constantly, and networking is crucial.
Key Takeaways from the panel session
- The biggest difficulty facing job applicants in AI is that as technology is constantly advancing, skills need regular updating, and they also need to show proficiency in the right technology. This can be overcome by gaining a strong foundation in a relevant skill and improve soft skills, such as creativity and problem solving.
- Businesses should have management that encourages everyone to take advantage of continuous professional development (CPD) courses that help employees upskill, and they should make sure that under-represented groups, specifically, are made aware of any initiatives.
- AI is democratising technology, and it is important for businesses that their employees don’t get left behind in the AI race. Everyone will be using AI in some way, and if businesses don’t prioritise getting all employees ready for the AI future, they could be putting the business at risk.
- Coding will be a skill in the future. There is still technology underneath AI, so some coding jobs may change in the way it is done, but ultimately it will still need humans for development.
- When it comes to networking, there needs to be a balance between online and face-to-face. Joining online communities plays a vital role for tech talent to network and learn, but there is still value in being able to see people in real life to exchange ideas, not just emails.
Join the Initiative
Pledgers
The Pledge is a vehicle for partners and sponsors to join the initiative and contribute to the development and delivery of its courses and training.
It unites public and private organisations, industry representatives and champions, academic partners, education providers, and Member States to support the initiative, and create synergies with other EU programmes and Agencies.
If you are interested in joining top-level Deep Tech players like NVIDIA by becoming a Pledger, please submit your pledge on the website and sign the pledge document.
Talent
The Initiative’s goal is to train one million users in deep tech fields by the end of 2025.
The EIT Deep Tech Talent Community is an online space that simplifies the path to career growth and fosters expertise in deep tech for adult learners in companies and on the job market, as well as students in higher education with an interest in deep tech.
If you are a talent interested in developing deep tech skills, please sign up to the Talent Community here.
Partners
