Future of work

Key takeaways

• AI is already supporting labour market analysis, skills identification, and curriculum development in VET systems. 

• The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development gathered evidence from more than 290 people involved in vocational education and training across 25 countries. It identified 31 real-world AI use cases in VET development. 

• AI can improve the efficiency of VET development, but human oversight remains essential. 

• The report identifies principles to support the safe, transparent, and responsible use of AI in VET development. 

Plain language summary

According to the report, AI is increasingly being used to support the development of vocational education and training (VET) programs. It can help people identify in-demand skills, analyze LMI, and develop curricula.

The findings suggest that AI is already being used in several parts of the VET development process, including labour market analysis, skills forecasting, curriculum design, and stakeholder consultation. However, adoption is still at an early stage in many countries.

The report also finds that AI works best as a tool to support human experts rather than as a replacement for them. Human oversight remains important to ensure that qualifications and curricula are accurate, relevant, and aligned with labour market needs.

Overall, the findings suggest that AI has the potential to make VET development more efficient and responsive while human expertise continues to play a central role in decision-making.

Definitions

AI: Technology that can perform tasks such as generating text, analyzing information, and recognizing patterns.

Vocational education and training (VET): Education and training that prepare people with the practical skills they need in specific occupations.

Why the results matter

For post-secondary institutions and students:

AI can help education and training programs keep current with changing skills and labour market needs.

For employers and employment services:

AI can support workforce planning by helping people to identify changing skill needs and training priorities.

For educators, career development professionals, and job seekers:

While human guidance remains important, AI can support learning and career planning.

For people in the LMI ecosystem:

While human oversight is still needed to ensure quality and accuracy, AI can improve labour market analysis.

For most Canadians:

AI is changing how people learn and work. Used responsibly, it can support better training and help prepare people for future jobs.