From Risk to Opportunity: Adopting AI for Workforce Development
By Andrea Vaghy and Jusin Collins
Artificial intelligence is no longer a futuristic concept — it’s here, and it’s reshaping how we work. A winter survey WPTI conducted along with JobsFirstNYC and NYC Employment and Training Coalition (NYCETC) showed that 75% of workforce professionals were already using AI tools in some capacity, yet 78% of the organizations they worked for had not adopted a formal AI policy or implemented staff training.
Those findings continue to track with what we are hearing informally from the field. At JobsFirst NYC’s “Adapting to the Future of Work 2025” conference last week, we held a workshop, “AI and the Future of Work: Building a Resilient Workforce Development Ecosystem.” Most of the workforce development professionals in the room nodded when asked if they used AI. Meanwhile, very few said their organizations had formal AI policies.
This gap highlights a critical disconnect between individual adoption and organizational preparedness. Whether workforce development organizations are aware of it or not, staff are likely already using tools like ChatGPT, automated scheduling apps, data analysis tools, and even resume screeners to make their work easier and faster.
Use of AI on an ad-hoc, individual basis, rather than through a strategic organizational plan, can result in AI use that is uncoordinated, inconsistent, and potentially risky. Ignoring AI could put your team and the populations you serve at a disadvantage in terms of lower overall digital literacy. At the same time, failure to train staff and set parameters for AI usage could potentially compromise people’s privacy and safety if, for example, staff uploads client names and other identifying data.
In order to get ahead of things, leaders can create policies, training programs, and ethical frameworks to guide AI use. To start:
Develop a Formal AI Policy – Include guidelines on privacy and ethical usage to ensure responsible adoption.
Form an AI Task Force – Identify staff eager to test tools, track results, and share lessons.
Invest in Training – There are plenty of courses as well as free resources, including IBM SkillsBuild, LinkedIn Learning, Coursera’s AI for Everyone, and Google’s AI Essentials.
AI is not a replacement for the human expertise that workforce development professionals provide—but it can be a powerful partner. AI can be a powerful ally for tasks that are repetitive, data-driven, or administrative, freeing staff to focus on high-touch, human-centered work that is central to the field of workforce development.
By experimenting thoughtfully, training staff, and building clear policies, you can position your organization to thrive in an AI-driven labor market and ensure your team remains a bridge to opportunity, not a bystander to change.
Coming This Fall
In September, WPTIJobsFirstNYC, and NYCETC, will release 18 recommendations designed for workforce development providers to integrate AI into their work and adapt to an increasingly tech-driven workplace and labor market. These recommendations will touch on four key areas: programming, operations, organizational culture and policy, and staff learning. Informed by surveys, focus groups, and conversations with stakeholders from across the workforce development ecosystem, these recommendations will also be reviewed by a working group of experts at the intersection of workforce development and artificial intelligence.
In partnership with Roundtable Technology and Meet the Moment, which provide technology services to non-profits, WPTI will launch an AI Learning Lab to teach people to implement best practices as they adapt to the new AI reality.