Episodes

  • Upskilling the Deskless Worker
    May 31 2024

    This episode, we’re turning our attention to the deskless worker—those who work in manufacturing, front-line support, health care and so many other areas. Their job does not require them to be at a desk or in a traditional office setting. They're on the go, in the field, working in environments that demand mobility and flexibility. How do we accelerate the learning and upskilling of the deskless worker? Is it through AI, advanced communications, introduction to new opportunities? How do we incorporate more inclusion for this majority group of workers?

    Learn more about UC Berkeley Extension @https://bit.ly/458bo3e

    Read this episode's transcript @https://bit.ly/454D4pn

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    45 mins
  • Mental Health Matters
    Apr 2 2024

    Demand for mental health benefits has grown. In a 2023 NPR article, psychologists say they can't meet the growing demand for mental health care—whether it’s not having enough open positions or three-month-long waitlists. There is a growing market for apps to fill the gaps, as well as platforms that connect people with licensed therapists or a number of AI-powered solutions that emulate a therapist. All this has an impact on workers and the workplace. And as we heard from Daniel Zhao at GlassDoor in our earlier episode, newer generations of employees are expecting employers to address these needs with benefits. Let’s talk about what employees are seeking from companies and how companies are responding.

    Learn more about UC Berkeley Extension @https://bit.ly/43HKoXj

    Read this episode's transcript @https://bit.ly/3U0uaVX

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    46 mins
  • Tomorrow’s AI-Augmented Workforce
    Feb 27 2024

    Job listings mentioning AI have doubled on LinkedIn, and demand for AI skills is appearing across a wide range of industries and sectors. Job seekers are jumping on the bandwagon and adding AI skills to their resumes. But what does this mean? What are employers looking for, where can you learn these skills, and how do you talk about (and use!) AI in meaningful ways.

    We turn to Dr.Michael Wu, who is a leading authority on artificial intelligence and behavioral economics. He’s currently the Chief AI Strategist at PROS, an AI-powered software solution provider, and was recently appointed as Senior Data Science Research Fellow at the Ecole des Ponts Business School. A popular adviser and lecturer for UC Berkeley Extension’s AI programs, Michael has triple undergraduate majors in Applied Math, Physics, and Molecular and Cell Biology, and earned his Ph.D. from UC Berkeley’s Biophysics program.

    He will be presenting his “Demystifying AI: What Business Leaders Need to Know About AI” course at the upcoming Outperform With PROS conference. Learn more about this event @https://bit.ly/3uO78YH

    Learn more about UC Berkeley Extension @https://bit.ly/42TyCJ4

    Read this episode's transcript @https://bit.ly/3OY6P4A

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    46 mins
  • 2024 Job Trends and Directions
    Feb 7 2024

    Are you making any career or professional development resolutions? To help you envision the future, let’s explore trends and new directions for career growth. To shed light on the jobs that are in demand and growing sectors, we need to dive into data from employees and employers.

    Fortunately for us, we are going to get a peek behind the glass door. We're excited to have Daniel Zhao, lead economist and senior manager data science at Glassdoor, who has been doing research on trends in the job market and workplace. 

    Learn more about UC Berkeley Extension @https://bit.ly/3Uw9BRY

    Read the transcript @https://bit.ly/3w4UkgV

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    47 mins
  • 2024 Predictions
    Dec 15 2023

    As we look toward 2024, we'd like to take this time to remind each of our listeners that it's important to invest in your future of work goals. So let's call this episode the Future of Work Gift Guide. What can you give yourself to upskill? How can you help someone achieve their career goals?

    To unpack and highlight insights from this past year, we've brought back Michelle Hector from our first episode on overcoming barriers and Barry O'Reilly from our third episode on unlearning. 

    Learn more about UC Berkeley Extension @https://bit.ly/3RsFPL3

    Read the transcript @https://bit.ly/3RpOvBR

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    47 mins
  • Becoming an AI Native
    Oct 30 2023

    With the advent of generative AI and large language models and chatbots, we need to take a look at the skills you will need, the jobs that are impacted and the opportunity to increase productivity—not only for yourself, but for an organization as a whole. With AI evolving at lightning speed, are we quickly entering the age of adopt or perish?

    To take a deeper dive, we have invited Chalenge Masekera to join us. Chalenge is a data scientist currently working at Faros AI, a company dedicated to enabling enterprises to get invaluable insights into their engineering operations. 

    Learn more about UC Berkeley Extension @https://bit.ly/49gI9gg

    Read the transcript @https://bit.ly/47bv3ip

     

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    43 mins
  • Creative Collaboration—Where is the Sweet Spot?
    Sep 26 2023

    This month, we’re taking a look at collaborative intelligence. Collaboration is essential but often times invisible. It can either contribute to the success or lead to the downfall of a project. We collaborate in a number ways, using a number of different tools and in different places, but do we really understand how to collaborate effectively? What is the difference between collaboration and coordination? How does can collaboration inspire innovation? When does collaboration become overkill and lead to employee fatigue? What can individuals and leaders do to cultivate a collaboration community? To answer these many questions, we turn to Rebecca Hinds.

    Rebecca is the Head of The Work Innovation Lab by Asana, a first-of-its-kind think tank that conducts actionable research to assist businesses in adapting to the ever-changing challenges of work, both today and in the future.

    Read the transcript from this interview @https://bit.ly/3LEmTH3

    Learn more about UC Berkeley Extension @https://bit.ly/48rMqgm

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    58 mins
  • The Domino Effect of Striking Down Affirmative Action
    Aug 21 2023

    This month, we’re taking a look at the recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling that essentially struck down four-and-a-half decades of legal precedent that allowed higher-education institutions to consider race as one of the many factors in their admissions evaluations. While California has been grappling with this challenge since Prop 209 passed in 1996, now across the nation universities are seeking new ways to define college admissions that will help level an uneven playing field. Beyond admissions, we have questions about the domino effect this ruling will have not only on the makeup of incoming university students, but also the pipeline of college graduates entering  the workforce, the ripple effects on DEI in hiring and the makeup of that workforce. 

    We turn to Dr. Monica Cox to help us unravel what this ruling means for our Future of Work.

    Read the transcript from this interview @https://bit.ly/45z1ze5

    Learn more about UC Berkeley Extension @https://bit.ly/3snBZd9

     

     

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    48 mins