This event requires an RSVP; to attend, submit form hereWhat if instead of engaging in costly bidding wars for scarce AI talent, your organization could shape the next generation of generative leaders before they even graduate? As AI adoption accelerates across the public sector and retail industries, businesses spend millions retraining graduates who understand AI in theory but lack the practical, agentic leadership required to deploy it effectively. To bridge this gap, this session will explain how the Center for Reimagining Education (CRE) at the University of Kansas, backed by over $11 million in funded research, utilizes generative and agentic AI, extended reality (XR), and immersive learning to solve the talent shortage by co-designing AI skill pathways directly with employers. Driven by evidence-based practices for personalized instruction, we will illustrate a new, skills-first workforce model where your business helps determine the exact competencies needed on day one, translating them into stackable professional credentials that scale from high school to advanced Ph.D. research. This session will demonstrate how we use rigorous, university-vetted models like our ETHICS framework to ensure new hires are critical architects of AI systems, significantly reducing internal onboarding and training burdens. Join our interactive roundtable to gain actionable strategies for translating specific business needs into academic reality, and learn how regional education partnerships can build a continuous, future-proof workforce.
