Building an AI-Ready Workforce: Lessons from Training and Practice

Thursday, October 01, 2026 | 10:45AM–11:30AM MT | Mile High Ballroom 1EF, Lower Level
Session Type: Breakout Session
Delivery Format: Presentation
Higher education institutions are investing rapidly in AI tools, infrastructure, and training programs. At the same time, many are still working to understand how these investments translate into sustained, effective use across their communities.This session draws on implementation experience from large-scale training and workforce development efforts, including national AI-focused workshops and regional cohort-based programs in research computing. These efforts have engaged participants across institutions and disciplines and provide insight into how individuals move from initial interest in advanced technologies to practical application—and where that process can stall. We will examine common challenges observed in these efforts, including participants lacking access to appropriate data, workflows, or computational environments; training that is not closely connected to real use cases; and limited support for transitioning from initial exposure to applied use. We will also highlight approaches that have shown promise in addressing these challenges, including hands-on workflow-oriented training, cohort-based engagement models, and closer alignment between training and available infrastructure and support. The session will focus on practical observations and considerations that institutions can use to inform and evolve their own workforce development efforts.

Presenters

  • Shelley Knuth

    Assistant Vice Chancellor for Research Computing, University of Colorado Boulder

  • Alana Romanella

    Deputy Director, University of Colorado Boulder

  • Nitin Sukhija

    Director, Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania