The AI-Powered Skills Gap

As enterprises increasingly adopt AI solutions, they're also facing a skills gap problem. This year alone there was a 50% hiring gap for AI-related positions. Meanwhile, although 81% of IT professionals stated they can use AI in current roles, only a reported 12% have the actual skills to do so. To mitigate the looming skills shortage, organizations must make strategic investments by partnering with emerging service providers, tech companies and AI startups to access sought-after talent and AI capabilities. By building a robust partner ecosystem, enterprises can more effectively bridge the gap brought on by persistent workforce shortages.  

The Ecosystem Opportunity

The advantages of ecosystem business models transcend any single organization, with the potential to transform entire markets and value chains. More than 85% of executives recognize the potential ecosystems have to foster innovation and growth by bringing together large corporations and agile disruptors. These advantages extend to adopting generative AI technology and addressing the AI skills gap. Because AI and generative AI development saw an exponential boom, the supply of relevant talent could not keep up with the demand, creating one of the biggest obstacles to AI adoption. As companies further pursue their AI journeys, they're increasingly turning to a partner ecosystem strategy to access this specialized talent now and simultaneously play the long game with hiring AI professionals.

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Bridging the AI Skills Gap With Partner Ecosystems

Partner ecosystems can bridge the talent and skills gap by bringing together collaborators with complementary resources and expertise, including those with the desired AI skills. In the short term, this frees up time and costs tied to hiring and retraining, while simultaneously enabling employees to focus on core tasks tied to R&D and AI adoption. In the long term, the pooled data and experience from partner ecosystems help organizations to develop and invest in the necessary AI upskilling and re-skilling programs to further cultivate AI skills within the existing workforce. This helps boost internal satisfaction, as 80% of employees want more AI training or upskilling opportunities but organizations may not have the resources alone to spearhead that training.

Additionally, as partner ecosystems become more prevalent, organizations are realizing that managing their professional service processes may not always align with their strengths. By allowing specialized service providers to handle these processes as well, companies can continue to focus on their primary areas of expertise, which is a win-win situation for partners. Service providers can take the lead in hiring and training professionals, easing the burden on other companies within the ecosystem.

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Partnering for AI Success

Building a thriving partner ecosystem can be crucial for addressing the AI skills gap without stretching an organization’s resources too thin. While most executives understand the importance of a partner ecosystem, many still struggle with getting the strategy and planning done right. The key is establishing a solid foundation for a partner ecosystem to ensure lasting relationships. Three pillars of ecosystem success can be applied. First, identify the right use case that fills a market gap. Second, identify the right partner and business model with complementary capabilities and shared values. Third, identify the right IT infrastructure (cloud, automation, cybersecurity) to support the use case. By mastering these elements, organizations can establish continuing collaborations and leverage AI-focused partners to bridge the AI skills gap.