The Internal Gig: Short-Term Assignments That Build Agile, AI-Ready IT Teams

Thursday, October 01, 2026 | 4:15PM–5:00PM MT
Session Type: Breakout Session
Delivery Format: Presentation
AI is reshaping IT roles faster than traditional training programs can respond, but hiring your way to new skills is expensive and slow. This session reveals how one institution built a thriving internal talent mobility program using short-term gig assignments that move people toward meaningful work, build technical skills on live projects, and create cross-departmental connections that outlast the assignment itself. You'll hear directly from HR, IT leadership, and the communications team behind the program on how sharing real success stories drove rapid adoption and transformed the organization's approach to workforce development.

Presenters

  • Nidia Barrios

    Director, OIT Human Resources, University of California, Irvine

  • Babette Vogel

    Director of Business Services, University of California, Irvine