July 2, 2024 • 26 mins
The AI revolution is expected to create 97 million new jobs by 2025, and the workers entering the field will possess some of the most sought-after skills in any industry. But how much work is needed to close the AI skills gap for our future workers? Enter Intel and Dell, which have partnered to launch the AI for the Future Workforce program to foster the next generation of AI innovators and prepare a diverse, skilled workforce for the digital economy. In this episode, Graeme is joined in conversation with veteran educator Dr. Madeline Burillo-Hopkins, who discusses the success of the program at a Houston community college and offers valuable insights for students, parents, educators, and anyone interested in the future of work and AI's impact on society.
Learn more about how Intel is leading the charge in the AI Revolution at intel.com/AIeverywhere
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:05):
Every single one of us is familiar with the classroom.
This is where so many of us learn the basics
of reading, writing, and arithmetic, And no matter where you live,
the classroom is where so many of us first learn
the skills that we need to eventually join the workforce
and begin our careers. But this isn't just any classroom.
(00:26):
This is a classroom focused on the future and the
AI revolution that will create ninety seven million new jobs
by twenty twenty five and potentially deliver additional global economic
activity of around thirteen trillion by twenty thirty. This is
the classroom where teachers are equipping the future workforce with
a technical confidence to learn and apply AI skills and
(00:49):
shape the future. But who will fill these ninety seven
million jobs. According to the twenty twenty three Tech Report,
approximately sixty three percent of employees in the the US
tech sector are white. Estimates suggests that only twenty five
percent of tech jobs are held by women, with even
lower numbers for Black, Latina and Native American women at
(01:10):
around five percent. With these stats in mind, how can
we create new opportunities in tech for underrepresented populations, ultimately
creating a more diverse pool of talent in the industry,
how much work has to be done to close the
AI skills gap for our future workers, and which teachers
have been entrusted with this critical mission. Welcome to Technically Speaking,
(01:34):
an Intel podcast produced by iHeartMedia's Ruby Studio in partnership
with Intel. In every episode, we explore how AI innovations
are changing the world and revolutionizing the way we live. Hey,
then I'm your host Graham. Class for the seventh episode
of this season on Technically Speaking, We're headed back to school,
(01:55):
but it very likely doesn't resemble your typical university lecture hall.
This classroom is focused on teaching students some of the
most sought after skills in the emerging job landscape, artificial intelligence.
In this episode, we will focus on their current AI
skill crisis, and while Intel is partnering with Dell for
(02:15):
the AI for the Future Workforce program, will also examine
how students enrolled in this program at a Texas community
college are grasping onto this opportunity with both hands and
embracing AI technology in the workplace. Before we go any further,
let's welcome our guest who's leading this charge. Joining us
(02:36):
today is doctor Madeline Burilla. Hopkins the Vice Chancellor of
Workforce Instruction and the President of Southwest College at Houston
Community College in Texas. Doctor Buruillo Hopkins is responsible for
the strategic vision and administrative leadership of workforce instruction for
the district, and as president at Houston Community Southwest College,
(02:58):
she oversees all operations at HDC's Southwest campuses, including the
Center of Excellence in Digital and Information Technology. Welcome to
the show, Madeline.
Speaker 2 (03:12):
Thank you Graham. What a pleasure to be here this morning,
and I'm very appreciative of the opportunity to share with
you and the listeners a little bit more about what
we're doing at Houston Community College.
Speaker 1 (03:24):
Yeah, it's interesting because in our first season we did
talk a little bit about how we can upskill students
to be ready for the future trends in AI. But
I'd like to get a little bit of a sense
of your background. You've always been an advocate for workforce education,
but I'd like to get a definition of what workforce
instruction is and what does the term mean to you
(03:48):
and others who work in your field.
Speaker 2 (03:51):
So workforce instruction for me, is really at the core
of what we do at Community colleges and the sense
of we are at the inter section of people looking
for educational opportunities that would allow them to have the
highest return on the investment of their time as well
(04:11):
as their economic resources to pay for that education. And
the other intersection is especially right now employers seeking highly
qualified people, especially for emerging jobs and careers. And we
all know about the fact now it's been labeled as
the AI era, these are actually exciting times to be living.
(04:37):
I used to say as an economics major, what would
have been like to live in the times of industrial
revolution and change? And I do feel like we're living
in that same time frame in terms of how people
are experiencing AI and how it's impacting the world around us.
So workforce education is anything that will allow people to
(05:01):
be able to have a better life through the power
of education and have jobs and careers that will allow
them to sustain their families and have upper economic mobility.
Speaker 1 (05:13):
Yeah, as you're talking about that, I was reminded back
to my own experience where I just came into the
workforce just as the Internet was taking off, and I
had to reschool myself to be able to take advantage
of that, and I'd like to get a better sense
of the Houston Community College where you work, and I'd
(05:33):
like to get a sense of what the typical student
is like and what their general career aspirations are and
the reasons why they're studying there.
Speaker 2 (05:43):
Well, Houston is the fourth largest metropolitan city in the country,
and it's been labeled the most diversified city in terms
of the demographics, and our student population reflects that of
the city that we operate in, and we're very proud
of that diversity. So about thirty five percent of our
students are Hispanic, another twenty nine percent are African American,
(06:07):
about twenty percent our Ations, and about seventeen percent wide
and so it's a very good place where you can
see what the world looks like today. In terms of diversity.
We do have, as an urban college, a large number
of students that are low social economic and who are
(06:30):
first generation college students, and we take that very very seriously,
and for me it's personal. I'm a first college generation
graduate in my family, daughter of immigrant and an immigrant,
and so I have lived and I'm an example of
the power of education to transform lives, and so our
(06:53):
students come to us exactly with that need and aspiration
to be a to obtain an education at HCC that
would allow them to change their lives and the generations
after them.
Speaker 1 (07:10):
Houston Community College serves roughly eighty thousand students a year,
spread over six regional locations, all attending the school from
a variety of different backgrounds. The average age is roughly
twenty five years old, and three quarters of the students
are also working while they attend classes. HCC has thirteen
(07:30):
educational centers focusing on various industries such as healthcare, energy,
advanced manufacturing, and digital information technology. But I wanted to
know about the school's outlook on AI, how the students
are feeling about the rise of this new technology and
how it will affect their future.
Speaker 2 (07:53):
So you ask how do they feel. They're not fearful.
Usually the older individuals are more fearful, all about Oh,
it's going to do away with my job or you know,
how's my career is going to change. The students walk
into that AI lab and they are curious, they're engaged,
they want to learn more. What you see in their
(08:15):
eyes is awakening of the things that they can do
with these tools and that they can be what I
call them they're the next game changers. They're embracing AI
and they are excited about the fact that they're the
next creators, that their ideas can come to live with
these tools, and that they at Houston Community College, that
(08:38):
they have a place where they not only can do
that they can learn the skills, and that they can
get a credential, and that they can compete for these
new emerging jobs.
Speaker 1 (08:48):
With this collaboration space and the students getting together, I
think the examples in your mind that stick out that
really go oh wow, like I can't believe they've come
up with that.
Speaker 2 (08:59):
Yes, So you know, I have to say I'm so
thankful to Intail and all because we would not be
able to have a faculty that's trained and prepared to
provide these tools to our students. Right. So, Intel's AI
for Workforce program has been so critical for us as
well as some of our other tech partners. But an
example one of our students right now that is entering
(09:21):
the competition, it's using AI how to identify cancer cells
at different stages by looking at the cancer cells at
their stage one, two, three, or four, and how to
do that at a much earlier stage of diagnosis. So
when I think about students actually looking at healthcare, I
(09:43):
just think of the possibilities and the things that we're
equipping our students with a capacity to create solutions for
the future that are going to benefit humanity. And I'm
excited and humble by the fact that we're able to
be in a place that we're allowing that to happen.
Speaker 1 (10:00):
Yeah, and also I was just wondering what your thoughts
around what are those skills gaps that need to be
filled so that students can confidently go into not necessarily
an AI tech job, but an existing job, but you're
able to use those AI skills to enhance their productivity.
Speaker 2 (10:20):
Well, technology skills are always very useful, but at the
end of the day, it comes about people working together
and working together. Well, So I do see AI allowing
us to be able to bring people from different perspectives
into teams and learning how to work together towards a
(10:43):
problem solution. And that is what employers are seeking today,
no matter in what sector you're in, the ability to
articulate also what the problem is and what are we
trying to solve. And I think about like prompting engine
and somebody said, oh, well, AI is going to do everything,
(11:03):
and it's going to replace people. At the end of
the day. Starts with somebody's thoughts and ideas that have
to be articulated properly to the AI tool to be
able to give you the outcome that you're seeking. I
see AI also as a catalyst that will help our
students learn how to communicate more effectively because they have
(11:25):
to learn the skill of prompt engineering, which requires them
to articulate thoughts in a concise and clear way. And
so to me, these are all what employers call soft
skills that for years. I've been in workforce for a
long time, workforce development, and those are things that always
come up. And I see AI allowing us to do
(11:46):
that becoming more efficient, but allowing the people to use
their thoughts and their human intelligence to be magnified and
to be better used for more strategic thinks and problem
solving than the routine tasks or tasks that require high
(12:06):
computing levels that we couldn't do before. But at the
end of the day, you still need a creative thought
from an individual, from a person to have that computer
that robot be able to give you the outcome that
you're seeking.
Speaker 1 (12:20):
Yeah, and I think it's really an exciting time because
you might have a creative thought and use your imagination,
but then you might get discouraged and say, oh, there's
so much work and I have to do this, this,
and this. I've just been creating an app using AI copilots,
and I don't think I would have even embarked on
it if I didn't have this assistant with me to
(12:42):
help me along the way. So I just think that
there'll be more of that human creativity being able to
get to the market or just get out into the
world because of these.
Speaker 2 (12:52):
Tools, because AI will allow them to do that. But
these are all things that we're facing in a few
and I am so glad that we get to Our
students at Houston Community Colleges are going to be part
of that economy. They're very part of the economy because
they're being hired before they leave. People want them. All
(13:13):
of the tech companies are realizing that in order to
maximize the power of AI, particularly for the US, that
they all need to come together and help build that
next workforce. Everybody is going to need to be upskilled
and reskill and learn to use AI in their daily work.
(13:35):
In this twenty first century. If we don't do this,
we're going to have a huge digital divide. And for
small businesses and medium sized businesses, this can be a
game changer for them.
Speaker 1 (13:48):
Coming up next on Technically Speaking and Intel podcast.
Speaker 2 (13:52):
We've had students that walk down the hallway and see
the AI lab and they get curious as they can.
I come in there and we tell them and they
changed their majors.
Speaker 1 (14:02):
We'll be right back after a brief message from our
partners at Intel. Welcome back to Technically Speaking, an Intel podcast.
I'm here now with doctor Madeline Burillo Hopkins. I just
(14:23):
wanted to go to the start and the genesis of
the AAR for the Future Workforce program. I read that
Dell and Intel collaborated with the American Association of Community
Colleges back in twenty twenty. How did that program actually
come on to your radar and how did that actually start?
Speaker 2 (14:38):
Well in twenty seventeen at HCC our faculty, even though
people thought we were crazy, we saw what was coming.
Everybody was using assistance and as a center of excellenc
question was what does that mean? And we saw the
trends for AI growing and really we saw, so to speak,
(14:59):
the x poond intial applications of AI for the future,
and then we have a very strong cybersecurity program at HCC,
so we immediately saw the connection and we decided we
were going to launch one. It just happened that we
had all the plans and everything ready to launch in
fall of twenty twenty. Because it takes a couple of
(15:19):
years to launch a program and hire ed so our
faculty had to get equipped to do the curriculum. So
one of the things we did was where can we
get the curriculum to teach AI? And so we started
reaching out. We figure out, well, the companies are doing this,
(15:40):
so let's reach out to different companies that are training
their staff. They have to have training materials, and somebody
I knew told me Intel has a program that they're
starting in Arizona with Maricopa, So I reached out told
them what we were doing in Texas. So Intel provided
book camps for our faculty in computer science to be
(16:03):
equipped to teach AI skills, and so between their support,
our faculty was really prepared to utilize that curriculum integrated
into our associate's degree. So we launched a program and
follow twenty twenty with Intel support and there, and since
then they have been side by side with ACC and
(16:25):
everything that we do. We have a fabulous AI lab
that we've been very fortunate to have Pat Gelsinger visitors
their CEO, and I'm proud to say also that he's
an ALUMNIICCCUS. He got an honorary degree from ACC because
our students won the global competition in twenty twenty two
(16:46):
and he came to see what was happening in this
little community college. Intel has been providing the same type
of professional development to build the capacity to teach these
programs across the US.
Speaker 1 (17:00):
So how many students go through that AI for Future Workforce.
Speaker 2 (17:04):
Program at Houston Community College? We started with forty students.
Today we have almost five hundred students, and we have
also launched a bachelor's degree in Applied Technology in AI
and Robotics, the first in the country by a community college.
So it's grown exponentially, and we've had students that walk
(17:26):
down the hallway and see the AI lab and they
get curious as they can I come in there and
we tell them and they change their majors. Then they
tell other friends, family members, So it's been an exciting
pathway to see the growth. We just want more community
colleges in the country to do this. Our purpose would
(17:46):
be to help other colleges launch these degree programs across
the US, and obviously with Intel support and our other
tech companies support, Deal and Intail among them.
Speaker 1 (18:00):
And you talked a little bit about how students were
able to get jobs really quickly after they've completed their coursework.
Can you give me some examples of the type of
industries the type of jobs that students have been able
to get as a result of this program.
Speaker 2 (18:20):
Yeah, so I have a list of examples. This is
not inclusive of all of them, but I can tell
you two of our students were recruited by Tesla. We
have another student that went to work for our local
pharmaceutical company here in the Houston area. We got a
couple of folks that are working with some in technology companies.
One student is working for a geo scanning company. We
(18:45):
have three students that have interesting enough gone to work
for ced AI, and then we have had forced students
go to become NASA scholars after they left. And we
have a large number of students that are trying entering
into our bachelors of apply technology because it didn't exist
before and it doesn't exist anywhere in Texas.
Speaker 1 (19:10):
You heard doctor Brilla Hopkins mentioned earlier that a number
of students at the AI for Future Workforce Program at
Houston Community College are being hired as soon as they
complete the program or they have jobs lined up even
before they graduate. These success stories come from a wide
range of industries like jobs in electric vehicles, pharmaceuticals, global
(19:30):
management and consulting, geotechnical scanning, AI, public policy, and even
space aeronautics, just to name a few. But what's still
paramount to the team at the AI for Future Workforce
Program at HCC is that this pathway to success remains
accessible to all, regardless of the student's race, gender, or
(19:50):
socioeconomic status.
Speaker 2 (19:56):
So I mentioned earlier, the demographics of our college in
general and our demographics of our programs are pretty similar.
What I'm also very hopeful is that I see a
lot of women going in the deck field, which we've
had a huge gap in females participation in the technology industry,
(20:17):
and about thirty percent of our students in the program
are females. So I know that we're making a difference
by providing that accents. This year, we're doing summer camps
that include AI skill sets for our middle school and
high school students. We're also creating pathways of what we
(20:38):
call here in Texas dual credit programming that allows a
student in high school when they're the last few years,
complete a high school diploma and also an associates degree
at the same time. So I talked about fourteen thousand
for an Ambassador's degree. If they take dual ready classes
(21:00):
and complete their associates degree while they're in high school,
cut that in half because that's half of the program
already done, already done, and then they graduate a lot sooner,
and that means that they're going to enter the workforce
a lot sooner. So their lifelong earnings will be a
lot higher because they're going to enter a high demand
(21:23):
field that's relevant, that has high wages, and their careers
long term earnings will actually be I think that they'll
be double.
Speaker 1 (21:34):
Yeah. I'm a parent of teenagers myself. My oldest daughter
is going through that decision making process of what subjects
to choose and all of that. I'm sure many of
our listeners have teenagers going through that exact same thing.
I like to know if you've got any tips to
parents to help them guide their children in this crucial
(21:55):
time of almost like feeling like you're deciding your whole life.
Speaker 2 (22:00):
Listen, my youngest daughter went through that whole process not
too long ago, right, So what do I tell parents?
Look for learning experiences that your local community colleges all offer,
especially anything on STEM related opportunities. Call look what your
(22:23):
local community college has. Many of times these programs are
free of charge because it's part of the mission of
the colleges. As a parent, as your school principle and
your superintendents, what are you all doing about AI education
at our schools? Our kids need to learn this, So
(22:44):
become an advocate for your own children, right, Provide experiences
for them to explore in a safe environment, which is
your schools. Find ways to get your kids to learn
the new technology. It's impacting their life and it's going
to be a must for them to be proficient, to
(23:05):
be able to be successful and to have careers with
livable wages in the future. So that's what I would
say to the parents that are listening.
Speaker 1 (23:15):
Excellent, and in terms of the II for the Future
Workforce program, if other college professors and administrators are listening
to this, how can they get involved in that program?
Speaker 2 (23:28):
Well, I would say contact your local INTEL regional contact.
But if they want to Houston Community College, a Miami
Dade at Mary Coopa College, all three of us are
committed to helping other colleges, and they can also contact
the American Association of Community Colleges the Workforce Division, and
(23:49):
they will put them in contact with those like myself
and others that are leading this pathway of building the
next workforce of the twenty five century in the AI era.
So just reach out, reach out to an AACC or
to us at Houston Community College or the other two colleges.
We'll be happy to help them through this process.
Speaker 1 (24:12):
Excellent. Thank you so much for joining us today.
Speaker 2 (24:16):
Oh, thank you Graham, it's been a pleasure.
Speaker 1 (24:19):
Thank you to doctor Madeleine Barilla Hopkins for her expertise
in today's episode of Technically Speaking for our regular listeners.
In season one, episode seven, we discussed the importance of
upskilling workers to take advantage of the AI explosion we
are all now witnessing. So it was a real pleasure
to talk with Madeline about the tangible strides Houston Community
(24:41):
College has taken to provide those crucial AI skills for students.
I could sense the pride Madeline has in providing these
opportunities to students from all backgrounds to enjoy the benefits
of this exciting technology. In particular, I love the fact
that she was willing to promote other colleges trying to
achieve a similar mission and to be a model for
(25:02):
other institutions to emulate. I believe that AI skills such
as prompt engineering, and as strange as it may sound,
be able to communicate properly with AI agents, it will
set you apart from others and enable you to focus
on true creativity and innovation. I think the students and
teachers of AI programs at institutions like Houston Community College
(25:24):
will truly help bring AI everywhere. Next time, on our
final episode of season two, we're bringing home the gold
Medal as we look at how AI will help change
our experience of the Olympic and Paralympic Games. So join
us on July sixteenth for this very special episode of
(25:45):
Technically Speaking and Intel podcast. Technically Speaking was produced by
a Ruby Studio from iHeartRadio in partnership with Intel and
hosted by me Graham class. My executive producer is Molly Sosher,
our EP of Post Production is James Foster, and our
supervising producer is Nika Swinton. This episode was edited by
(26:09):
Sierra Spreen and written by Nick Firschel
Every single one of us is familiar with the classroom.
This is where so many of us learn the basics
of reading, writing, and arithmetic, And no matter where you live,
the classroom is where so many of us first learn
the skills that we need to eventually join the workforce
and begin our careers. But this isn't just any classroom.
(00:26):
This is a classroom focused on the future and the
AI revolution that will create ninety seven million new jobs
by twenty twenty five and potentially deliver additional global economic
activity of around thirteen trillion by twenty thirty. This is
the classroom where teachers are equipping the future workforce with
a technical confidence to learn and apply AI skills and
(00:49):
shape the future. But who will fill these ninety seven
million jobs. According to the twenty twenty three Tech Report,
approximately sixty three percent of employees in the the US
tech sector are white. Estimates suggests that only twenty five
percent of tech jobs are held by women, with even
lower numbers for Black, Latina and Native American women at
(01:10):
around five percent. With these stats in mind, how can
we create new opportunities in tech for underrepresented populations, ultimately
creating a more diverse pool of talent in the industry,
how much work has to be done to close the
AI skills gap for our future workers, and which teachers
have been entrusted with this critical mission. Welcome to Technically Speaking,
(01:34):
an Intel podcast produced by iHeartMedia's Ruby Studio in partnership
with Intel. In every episode, we explore how AI innovations
are changing the world and revolutionizing the way we live. Hey,
then I'm your host Graham. Class for the seventh episode
of this season on Technically Speaking, We're headed back to school,
(01:55):
but it very likely doesn't resemble your typical university lecture hall.
This classroom is focused on teaching students some of the
most sought after skills in the emerging job landscape, artificial intelligence.
In this episode, we will focus on their current AI
skill crisis, and while Intel is partnering with Dell for
(02:15):
the AI for the Future Workforce program, will also examine
how students enrolled in this program at a Texas community
college are grasping onto this opportunity with both hands and
embracing AI technology in the workplace. Before we go any further,
let's welcome our guest who's leading this charge. Joining us
(02:36):
today is doctor Madeline Burilla. Hopkins the Vice Chancellor of
Workforce Instruction and the President of Southwest College at Houston
Community College in Texas. Doctor Buruillo Hopkins is responsible for
the strategic vision and administrative leadership of workforce instruction for
the district, and as president at Houston Community Southwest College,
(02:58):
she oversees all operations at HDC's Southwest campuses, including the
Center of Excellence in Digital and Information Technology. Welcome to
the show, Madeline.
Speaker 2 (03:12):
Thank you Graham. What a pleasure to be here this morning,
and I'm very appreciative of the opportunity to share with
you and the listeners a little bit more about what
we're doing at Houston Community College.
Speaker 1 (03:24):
Yeah, it's interesting because in our first season we did
talk a little bit about how we can upskill students
to be ready for the future trends in AI. But
I'd like to get a little bit of a sense
of your background. You've always been an advocate for workforce education,
but I'd like to get a definition of what workforce
instruction is and what does the term mean to you
(03:48):
and others who work in your field.
Speaker 2 (03:51):
So workforce instruction for me, is really at the core
of what we do at Community colleges and the sense
of we are at the inter section of people looking
for educational opportunities that would allow them to have the
highest return on the investment of their time as well
(04:11):
as their economic resources to pay for that education. And
the other intersection is especially right now employers seeking highly
qualified people, especially for emerging jobs and careers. And we
all know about the fact now it's been labeled as
the AI era, these are actually exciting times to be living.
(04:37):
I used to say as an economics major, what would
have been like to live in the times of industrial
revolution and change? And I do feel like we're living
in that same time frame in terms of how people
are experiencing AI and how it's impacting the world around us.
So workforce education is anything that will allow people to
(05:01):
be able to have a better life through the power
of education and have jobs and careers that will allow
them to sustain their families and have upper economic mobility.
Speaker 1 (05:13):
Yeah, as you're talking about that, I was reminded back
to my own experience where I just came into the
workforce just as the Internet was taking off, and I
had to reschool myself to be able to take advantage
of that, and I'd like to get a better sense
of the Houston Community College where you work, and I'd
(05:33):
like to get a sense of what the typical student
is like and what their general career aspirations are and
the reasons why they're studying there.
Speaker 2 (05:43):
Well, Houston is the fourth largest metropolitan city in the country,
and it's been labeled the most diversified city in terms
of the demographics, and our student population reflects that of
the city that we operate in, and we're very proud
of that diversity. So about thirty five percent of our
students are Hispanic, another twenty nine percent are African American,
(06:07):
about twenty percent our Ations, and about seventeen percent wide
and so it's a very good place where you can
see what the world looks like today. In terms of diversity.
We do have, as an urban college, a large number
of students that are low social economic and who are
(06:30):
first generation college students, and we take that very very seriously,
and for me it's personal. I'm a first college generation
graduate in my family, daughter of immigrant and an immigrant,
and so I have lived and I'm an example of
the power of education to transform lives, and so our
(06:53):
students come to us exactly with that need and aspiration
to be a to obtain an education at HCC that
would allow them to change their lives and the generations
after them.
Speaker 1 (07:10):
Houston Community College serves roughly eighty thousand students a year,
spread over six regional locations, all attending the school from
a variety of different backgrounds. The average age is roughly
twenty five years old, and three quarters of the students
are also working while they attend classes. HCC has thirteen
(07:30):
educational centers focusing on various industries such as healthcare, energy,
advanced manufacturing, and digital information technology. But I wanted to
know about the school's outlook on AI, how the students
are feeling about the rise of this new technology and
how it will affect their future.
Speaker 2 (07:53):
So you ask how do they feel. They're not fearful.
Usually the older individuals are more fearful, all about Oh,
it's going to do away with my job or you know,
how's my career is going to change. The students walk
into that AI lab and they are curious, they're engaged,
they want to learn more. What you see in their
(08:15):
eyes is awakening of the things that they can do
with these tools and that they can be what I
call them they're the next game changers. They're embracing AI
and they are excited about the fact that they're the
next creators, that their ideas can come to live with
these tools, and that they at Houston Community College, that
(08:38):
they have a place where they not only can do
that they can learn the skills, and that they can
get a credential, and that they can compete for these
new emerging jobs.
Speaker 1 (08:48):
With this collaboration space and the students getting together, I
think the examples in your mind that stick out that
really go oh wow, like I can't believe they've come
up with that.
Speaker 2 (08:59):
Yes, So you know, I have to say I'm so
thankful to Intail and all because we would not be
able to have a faculty that's trained and prepared to
provide these tools to our students. Right. So, Intel's AI
for Workforce program has been so critical for us as
well as some of our other tech partners. But an
example one of our students right now that is entering
(09:21):
the competition, it's using AI how to identify cancer cells
at different stages by looking at the cancer cells at
their stage one, two, three, or four, and how to
do that at a much earlier stage of diagnosis. So
when I think about students actually looking at healthcare, I
(09:43):
just think of the possibilities and the things that we're
equipping our students with a capacity to create solutions for
the future that are going to benefit humanity. And I'm
excited and humble by the fact that we're able to
be in a place that we're allowing that to happen.
Speaker 1 (10:00):
Yeah, and also I was just wondering what your thoughts
around what are those skills gaps that need to be
filled so that students can confidently go into not necessarily
an AI tech job, but an existing job, but you're
able to use those AI skills to enhance their productivity.
Speaker 2 (10:20):
Well, technology skills are always very useful, but at the
end of the day, it comes about people working together
and working together. Well, So I do see AI allowing
us to be able to bring people from different perspectives
into teams and learning how to work together towards a
(10:43):
problem solution. And that is what employers are seeking today,
no matter in what sector you're in, the ability to
articulate also what the problem is and what are we
trying to solve. And I think about like prompting engine
and somebody said, oh, well, AI is going to do everything,
(11:03):
and it's going to replace people. At the end of
the day. Starts with somebody's thoughts and ideas that have
to be articulated properly to the AI tool to be
able to give you the outcome that you're seeking. I
see AI also as a catalyst that will help our
students learn how to communicate more effectively because they have
(11:25):
to learn the skill of prompt engineering, which requires them
to articulate thoughts in a concise and clear way. And
so to me, these are all what employers call soft
skills that for years. I've been in workforce for a
long time, workforce development, and those are things that always
come up. And I see AI allowing us to do
(11:46):
that becoming more efficient, but allowing the people to use
their thoughts and their human intelligence to be magnified and
to be better used for more strategic thinks and problem
solving than the routine tasks or tasks that require high
(12:06):
computing levels that we couldn't do before. But at the
end of the day, you still need a creative thought
from an individual, from a person to have that computer
that robot be able to give you the outcome that
you're seeking.
Speaker 1 (12:20):
Yeah, and I think it's really an exciting time because
you might have a creative thought and use your imagination,
but then you might get discouraged and say, oh, there's
so much work and I have to do this, this,
and this. I've just been creating an app using AI copilots,
and I don't think I would have even embarked on
it if I didn't have this assistant with me to
(12:42):
help me along the way. So I just think that
there'll be more of that human creativity being able to
get to the market or just get out into the
world because of these.
Speaker 2 (12:52):
Tools, because AI will allow them to do that. But
these are all things that we're facing in a few
and I am so glad that we get to Our
students at Houston Community Colleges are going to be part
of that economy. They're very part of the economy because
they're being hired before they leave. People want them. All
(13:13):
of the tech companies are realizing that in order to
maximize the power of AI, particularly for the US, that
they all need to come together and help build that
next workforce. Everybody is going to need to be upskilled
and reskill and learn to use AI in their daily work.
(13:35):
In this twenty first century. If we don't do this,
we're going to have a huge digital divide. And for
small businesses and medium sized businesses, this can be a
game changer for them.
Speaker 1 (13:48):
Coming up next on Technically Speaking and Intel podcast.
Speaker 2 (13:52):
We've had students that walk down the hallway and see
the AI lab and they get curious as they can.
I come in there and we tell them and they
changed their majors.
Speaker 1 (14:02):
We'll be right back after a brief message from our
partners at Intel. Welcome back to Technically Speaking, an Intel podcast.
I'm here now with doctor Madeline Burillo Hopkins. I just
(14:23):
wanted to go to the start and the genesis of
the AAR for the Future Workforce program. I read that
Dell and Intel collaborated with the American Association of Community
Colleges back in twenty twenty. How did that program actually
come on to your radar and how did that actually start?
Speaker 2 (14:38):
Well in twenty seventeen at HCC our faculty, even though
people thought we were crazy, we saw what was coming.
Everybody was using assistance and as a center of excellenc
question was what does that mean? And we saw the
trends for AI growing and really we saw, so to speak,
(14:59):
the x poond intial applications of AI for the future,
and then we have a very strong cybersecurity program at HCC,
so we immediately saw the connection and we decided we
were going to launch one. It just happened that we
had all the plans and everything ready to launch in
fall of twenty twenty. Because it takes a couple of
(15:19):
years to launch a program and hire ed so our
faculty had to get equipped to do the curriculum. So
one of the things we did was where can we
get the curriculum to teach AI? And so we started
reaching out. We figure out, well, the companies are doing this,
(15:40):
so let's reach out to different companies that are training
their staff. They have to have training materials, and somebody
I knew told me Intel has a program that they're
starting in Arizona with Maricopa, So I reached out told
them what we were doing in Texas. So Intel provided
book camps for our faculty in computer science to be
(16:03):
equipped to teach AI skills, and so between their support,
our faculty was really prepared to utilize that curriculum integrated
into our associate's degree. So we launched a program and
follow twenty twenty with Intel support and there, and since
then they have been side by side with ACC and
(16:25):
everything that we do. We have a fabulous AI lab
that we've been very fortunate to have Pat Gelsinger visitors
their CEO, and I'm proud to say also that he's
an ALUMNIICCCUS. He got an honorary degree from ACC because
our students won the global competition in twenty twenty two
(16:46):
and he came to see what was happening in this
little community college. Intel has been providing the same type
of professional development to build the capacity to teach these
programs across the US.
Speaker 1 (17:00):
So how many students go through that AI for Future Workforce.
Speaker 2 (17:04):
Program at Houston Community College? We started with forty students.
Today we have almost five hundred students, and we have
also launched a bachelor's degree in Applied Technology in AI
and Robotics, the first in the country by a community college.
So it's grown exponentially, and we've had students that walk
(17:26):
down the hallway and see the AI lab and they
get curious as they can I come in there and
we tell them and they change their majors. Then they
tell other friends, family members, So it's been an exciting
pathway to see the growth. We just want more community
colleges in the country to do this. Our purpose would
(17:46):
be to help other colleges launch these degree programs across
the US, and obviously with Intel support and our other
tech companies support, Deal and Intail among them.
Speaker 1 (18:00):
And you talked a little bit about how students were
able to get jobs really quickly after they've completed their coursework.
Can you give me some examples of the type of
industries the type of jobs that students have been able
to get as a result of this program.
Speaker 2 (18:20):
Yeah, so I have a list of examples. This is
not inclusive of all of them, but I can tell
you two of our students were recruited by Tesla. We
have another student that went to work for our local
pharmaceutical company here in the Houston area. We got a
couple of folks that are working with some in technology companies.
One student is working for a geo scanning company. We
(18:45):
have three students that have interesting enough gone to work
for ced AI, and then we have had forced students
go to become NASA scholars after they left. And we
have a large number of students that are trying entering
into our bachelors of apply technology because it didn't exist
before and it doesn't exist anywhere in Texas.
Speaker 1 (19:10):
You heard doctor Brilla Hopkins mentioned earlier that a number
of students at the AI for Future Workforce Program at
Houston Community College are being hired as soon as they
complete the program or they have jobs lined up even
before they graduate. These success stories come from a wide
range of industries like jobs in electric vehicles, pharmaceuticals, global
(19:30):
management and consulting, geotechnical scanning, AI, public policy, and even
space aeronautics, just to name a few. But what's still
paramount to the team at the AI for Future Workforce
Program at HCC is that this pathway to success remains
accessible to all, regardless of the student's race, gender, or
(19:50):
socioeconomic status.
Speaker 2 (19:56):
So I mentioned earlier, the demographics of our college in
general and our demographics of our programs are pretty similar.
What I'm also very hopeful is that I see a
lot of women going in the deck field, which we've
had a huge gap in females participation in the technology industry,
(20:17):
and about thirty percent of our students in the program
are females. So I know that we're making a difference
by providing that accents. This year, we're doing summer camps
that include AI skill sets for our middle school and
high school students. We're also creating pathways of what we
(20:38):
call here in Texas dual credit programming that allows a
student in high school when they're the last few years,
complete a high school diploma and also an associates degree
at the same time. So I talked about fourteen thousand
for an Ambassador's degree. If they take dual ready classes
(21:00):
and complete their associates degree while they're in high school,
cut that in half because that's half of the program
already done, already done, and then they graduate a lot sooner,
and that means that they're going to enter the workforce
a lot sooner. So their lifelong earnings will be a
lot higher because they're going to enter a high demand
(21:23):
field that's relevant, that has high wages, and their careers
long term earnings will actually be I think that they'll
be double.
Speaker 1 (21:34):
Yeah. I'm a parent of teenagers myself. My oldest daughter
is going through that decision making process of what subjects
to choose and all of that. I'm sure many of
our listeners have teenagers going through that exact same thing.
I like to know if you've got any tips to
parents to help them guide their children in this crucial
(21:55):
time of almost like feeling like you're deciding your whole life.
Speaker 2 (22:00):
Listen, my youngest daughter went through that whole process not
too long ago, right, So what do I tell parents?
Look for learning experiences that your local community colleges all offer,
especially anything on STEM related opportunities. Call look what your
(22:23):
local community college has. Many of times these programs are
free of charge because it's part of the mission of
the colleges. As a parent, as your school principle and
your superintendents, what are you all doing about AI education
at our schools? Our kids need to learn this, So
(22:44):
become an advocate for your own children, right, Provide experiences
for them to explore in a safe environment, which is
your schools. Find ways to get your kids to learn
the new technology. It's impacting their life and it's going
to be a must for them to be proficient, to
(23:05):
be able to be successful and to have careers with
livable wages in the future. So that's what I would
say to the parents that are listening.
Speaker 1 (23:15):
Excellent, and in terms of the II for the Future
Workforce program, if other college professors and administrators are listening
to this, how can they get involved in that program?
Speaker 2 (23:28):
Well, I would say contact your local INTEL regional contact.
But if they want to Houston Community College, a Miami
Dade at Mary Coopa College, all three of us are
committed to helping other colleges, and they can also contact
the American Association of Community Colleges the Workforce Division, and
(23:49):
they will put them in contact with those like myself
and others that are leading this pathway of building the
next workforce of the twenty five century in the AI era.
So just reach out, reach out to an AACC or
to us at Houston Community College or the other two colleges.
We'll be happy to help them through this process.
Speaker 1 (24:12):
Excellent. Thank you so much for joining us today.
Speaker 2 (24:16):
Oh, thank you Graham, it's been a pleasure.
Speaker 1 (24:19):
Thank you to doctor Madeleine Barilla Hopkins for her expertise
in today's episode of Technically Speaking for our regular listeners.
In season one, episode seven, we discussed the importance of
upskilling workers to take advantage of the AI explosion we
are all now witnessing. So it was a real pleasure
to talk with Madeline about the tangible strides Houston Community
(24:41):
College has taken to provide those crucial AI skills for students.
I could sense the pride Madeline has in providing these
opportunities to students from all backgrounds to enjoy the benefits
of this exciting technology. In particular, I love the fact
that she was willing to promote other colleges trying to
achieve a similar mission and to be a model for
(25:02):
other institutions to emulate. I believe that AI skills such
as prompt engineering, and as strange as it may sound,
be able to communicate properly with AI agents, it will
set you apart from others and enable you to focus
on true creativity and innovation. I think the students and
teachers of AI programs at institutions like Houston Community College
(25:24):
will truly help bring AI everywhere. Next time, on our
final episode of season two, we're bringing home the gold
Medal as we look at how AI will help change
our experience of the Olympic and Paralympic Games. So join
us on July sixteenth for this very special episode of
(25:45):
Technically Speaking and Intel podcast. Technically Speaking was produced by
a Ruby Studio from iHeartRadio in partnership with Intel and
hosted by me Graham class. My executive producer is Molly Sosher,
our EP of Post Production is James Foster, and our
supervising producer is Nika Swinton. This episode was edited by
(26:09):
Sierra Spreen and written by Nick Firschel
Host
Graeme Klass
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