Professional Development Session: How a Skills Strategy Supports Your AI Strategy

How a Skills Strategy Supports Your AI Strategy

AI is accelerating the pace of change in every role: automating tasks, reshaping workflows, and creating entirely new capability demands. In this environment, skills data becomes the currency of workforce decisions. Skills allows leaders see what the organization can do today, where critical gaps are emerging, and how to redeploy and develop talent fast enough to keep up with transformation.In this session, Koreen Pagano, author of her new book Building the Skills-Based Organization, will unpack how a skills strategy directly supports an AI transformation strategy. You’ll learn why traditional proxies for capability (job titles, degrees, static job descriptions) break down in an AI-driven landscape and how a skills-based approach improves agility, internal mobility, and workforce planning.We’ll also focus on the practical role L&D can play as a catalyst for skills strategy: building a shared skills language, aligning learning to verified skill needs, and creating the systems and culture that make upskilling stick. You’ll leave with a clear “start small, scale smart” path forward, including what to prioritize first, what to avoid, and how to show progress quickly.

After attending this session you will be able to:

• Describe why skills data is essential for AI readiness, adoption, and long-term agility.
• Detail the specific ways L&D can lead (and partner with HR/IT/business) to enable a skills strategy.
• Identify key steps to get started: defining skills, selecting high-value use cases, collecting/validating data, and activating skills through learning and talent practices

Koreen Pagano, Co-Founder of Rising Tide Cooperative

Koreen Pagano, Co-Founder of Rising Tide Cooperative, is a globally recognized executive with deep expertise in skills strategy, AI transformation, analytics, learning technology, and immersive experiences. Koreen has held product leadership roles at Lynda.com, LinkedIn, D2L, Degreed, and Wiley. Koreen previously founded Tandem Learning, where she pioneered immersive learning through virtual worlds, games, and simulations. In her current role at Rising Tide Cooperative, she serves as an advisor, consultant, and executive coach to a range of companies, supporting their transformation initiatives. Koreen is a seasoned international speaker and author of two books: Immersive Learning and Building the Skills-Based Organization.

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