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Forbes
26-07-2025
- Business
- Forbes
How Higher Ed Can Operationalize The AI Action Plan With Agentic AI
Rear view of two university students walk down campus stairs at sunset The federal government's new AI Action Plan makes one thing clear: Artificial intelligence is national infrastructure. With over $13 billion authorized for AI-related education and workforce development through CHIPS & Science, and more than $490 million in core AI research funding in the NSF pipeline for 2025 alone, the question facing colleges and universities is not whether to engage with agentic AI—it's how. And how fast. What many institutions still lack isn't ambition; it's operational capacity. The ability to move from a strategy document to a deliverable. From a pilot idea to a fundable, scalable program. That's where agentic workflows come in. Agentic workflows are multi-step, semi-autonomous processes designed to operate under institutional oversight. They take in complex data, make decisions, and act. And they're already transforming the potential for higher education to public policy, funding opportunities, and internal innovation goals. Here are three workflows I believe every forward-looking institution can implement to meet the moment. Building AI Infrastructure: The Agentic AI Readiness Mapper If your institution wants to get ahead in the era of AI-driven growth, now is the time to start mapping your college-to-career pipeline. For example, the U.S. is projected to face a shortage of nearly 67,000 skilled semiconductor workers by 2030—a gap that colleges and universities are uniquely positioned to help close. The CHIPS & Science Act is clear in its expectations: Funding will flow to those who can show evidence-based plans for talent development. That means building live, data-informed roadmaps that align education with the future of work. Maricopa Community Colleges offer one model. They launched a 10-day 'Semiconductor Technician Quick-Start' boot camp and secured $1.7 million from the National Semiconductor Technology Center to expand that effort across four campuses. They didn't wait for a perfect curriculum—they partnered with industry, moved quickly, and aligned their messaging with what the federal government wants. An AI Infrastructure Mapper automates the front-end of this process. It scans course catalogs, labor market data, and physical infrastructure to identify where talent pipelines exist and where they need to be built. And it translates that into a funding narrative. These workflows generate the backbone for grant proposals, program design, and workforce planning. Competing For Federal Funding: The Agentic AI Grant Alignment Advisor Institutions don't lose grants because their ideas are bad. They lose because they're not speaking the language of the solicitation. As someone who's reviewed and advised on college applications, I can tell you: Alignment is everything. That's what makes an agentic Grant Alignment Advisor such a game-changer. It can continuously scans RFPs across federal agencies—NSF, Department of Labor, Department of Education—and match solicitations to existing institutional initiatives. It rewrites objectives, fills in gaps, and ensures the proposal mirrors the values and language of the funder. We've already seen the power of grant making in action at institutions like UMass Lowell, which funded over 30 AI mini-grants for faculty to experiment with GenAI tools across disciplines. By lowering the barrier to internal proposal writing and aligning project goals with broader institutional strategy, they created a feedback loop: Fundable ideas became test beds for larger-scale grant applications. The same logic can—and should—be applied across the enterprise. Embedding Ethics At Scale: The Responsible Agentic AI Course Co-Designer The 2025 Corporate Recruiters Survey from the Graduate Management Admission Council—based on responses from over 1,100 employers, including many Fortune 500 firms—shows that AI fluency, especially when paired with ethical reasoning, is the most sought-after skill for the next five years. To stay relevant and empower students for this future, academic programs must go beyond teaching how to use AI tools—they must also help students critically evaluate, manage, and make judgments about their capabilities. We're seeing institutions like the University of Louisiana System take the lead here. They launched a 16-hour AI literacy microcredential available to all 82,000 students and staff. It integrates AI fluency with ethics, including bias, privacy, accountability. That's intentional and smart. An agentic Course Co-Designer accelerates this process. It crosswalks global AI ethics frameworks—from NIST to OECD—and suggests course structures, assessments, and case studies that align with them. It flags outdated materials. It iterates as the frameworks evolve. It takes what would be a six-month curriculum design sprint and gets it 80% of the way there in a day. And most importantly, it ensures that institutions are building AI capacity responsibly—not just reactively. Higher education often spends more time analyzing problems than solving them. But with AI, and the capabilities of agentic AI, we don't have that luxury. The AI Action Plan comes with real funding, active policy momentum, and fast-rising expectations from government, employers, and students alike. It's time to move from reflection to action.
Yahoo
15-07-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
University of West Florida adds civil engineering program
PENSACOLA, Fla. (WKRG) — Students at the University of West Florida will soon be able to take advantage of a new engineering program. Mobile police, firefighters respond to Africatown crash Starting fall semester, the UWF Hal Marcus College of Science and Engineering will launch its Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering degree. According to a UWF news release, the program will be offered in the newly formed Department of Civil Engineering and Construction Management, and aims to provide students with 'hands-on education that prepares them for leadership in the civil engineering field.' 'This new program was created in direct response to the workforce needs of local companies,' said Dr. Mohamed Khabou, dean of the Hal Marcus College of Science and Engineering. 'With demand for civil engineers in Northwest Florida expected to grow by 13 percent between 2021 and 2031, almost twice the national rate, the program will help contribute much-needed, highly paying jobs to the local economy.' The curriculum's design incorporated input from local companies, in an effort to give students a solid understanding of physics, mathematics, mechanics and materials science while also gaining a deep understanding of civil engineering principles. 'We don't just build structures — we build the future,' Dr. M.A. Karim, founding chair and professor of civil engineering, said. 'The new civil engineering program empowers the next generation of civil engineers to design smarter, build stronger, and lead with purpose.' According to the release, graduates from the program will be ready for a variety of careers, including land development, residential and non-residential construction, infrastructure construction and maintenance, transportation, environmental remediation, and hydrology. Dauphin Island hosts 67th Roy Martin Young Anglers Tournament For more information about the Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering at UWF, check out their website. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
14-06-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Students in Philly technical education program graduate, join workforce
The Brief The School District of Philadelphia offers a program that graduates seniors into the workforce. The Career and Technical Education program creates career and a jobs pipeline. 200 students are enrolled. FELTONVILLE - It's a big week for area students who are marking a milestone. Thousands of high school seniors are getting their diplomas this week. Many are headed to college, but some have already entered the workforce and are getting a start in the real world. What we know While thousands of Philadelphia high school graduates get ready for a summer down the shore or preparing for college, there are some who are already getting a paycheck. Just two days after high school graduation, Adryanna Day is already at her full-time job as an apprentice mechanic with the City of Philadelphia Department of Fleet Services. "I've always loved motorcycles. A lot of my family are bikers. Especially Harley's," said Day. The 18-year-old from Mt. Airy is now getting paid to help repair motorcycles, including Harley Davidsons. The backstory Her career actually started in 10th grade through the School District of Philadelphia's Career and Technical Education program at Randolph Technical High School. "You have to be determined. You have to want this. You will be tired. You will be sore. There will be days you don't want to come to work, but I love doing what I do," said Day. Along with regular classwork the program gives students intensive hands-on instruction in 48 different career paths, including construction, culinary arts, health technology or, in the case of Fidel Rodriguez, auto body repair. He graduated Wednesday. By Friday, he was busy fixing police cars, ambulances and fire trucks. "It prepares you to go into a field with a trade on hand already," said Rodriguez. He's one of more than 200 CTE students in 10th through 12th grades getting direct pipelines to careers fresh out of high school. "I've always wanted to do something with cars. I wanted to be around cars. And when the opportunity came, I took it" added Rodriguez. Big picture view But landing a job right out of high school doesn't mean students don't go to college. In fact both students say college is still in the plans. "I will be studying at CCP for criminal justice, so eventually I would love to be a homicide detective. Still working with the police, still working with all of this in a way," said Day. For Rodriguez, he's planning to open up his own auto body shop someday. "I would love to go to a four-year college. I am planning to go to CCP as well to get my Associates. But I want to get into the workforce and get that experience early on. Be hands-on. And the paycheck's pretty," said Rodriguez.
Yahoo
12-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Cooperative Response Center one of the 'Best Places to Work'
Apr. 11—Workforce Development, Inc. (WDI), in partnership with the Workforce Development Boards of Southeast Minnesota and Winona, unveiled the "Best Places to Work" in Southeast Minnesota. Now in its 15th year, this regional initiative celebrates companies that go above and beyond in cultivating exceptional workplace cultures throughout Southeast Minnesota. After a thorough evaluation process led by national consulting firm Personnel Dynamics, fifteen standout companies earned the distinction of being among the Best Places to Work across our region's eleven counties — Dodge, Fillmore, Freeborn, Goodhue, Houston, Mower, Olmsted, Rice, Steele, Wabasha, and Winona. These businesses have made meaningful investments in their people, championed inclusive and engaging work environments, and continue to lead with innovation, purpose, and care. Among those that were honored was Mower County's Cooperative Response Center, Inc, based in Austin. The 2025 Best Places to Work winners are: Small Employer (under 50 employees —City of Byron —Arcadian Bank —Rushford State Bank —Southeast Service Cooperative —Southern Minnesota Municipal Power Agency Mid-Size Employer (50-150 employees) —Cooperative Response Center, Inc. —Custom Alarm —New Age Tree Service —Pace International —People's Energy Cooperative Large Employer (Over 150 employees) —Benike Construction —City of Albert Lea —Gemini, Inc. —Olmsted County —Strongwell Winners of this designation receive more than just recognition — they earn the right to display the "Best Places to Work" logo in their marketing materials, receive a custom event banner to showcase at their workplace, and gain year-long bragging rights across their communities and industries. The award also signals to job seekers that these employers are committed to putting people first. The 2025 winners were celebrated at the annual Workforce Development Forum held April 3 at the Rochester International Event Center.
Yahoo
26-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Workforce Development, Inc. to present Workforce Development Forum
Feb. 25—Workforce Development, Inc., CareerForce, and the Workforce Development Boards of Southeast Minnesota and Winona will be hosting the annual 2025 Workforce Development Forum on Thursday, April 3 at the Rochester International Event Center. This year's event will feature keynote speaker Krista Ryan, a Southeast Minnesota native, dynamic business coach, HR expert, and published author. Ryan's presentation will offer actionable strategies to navigate change, foster belonging, and inspire forward momentum for teams and leaders alike. Drawing on her local roots and national expertise, Krista travels the country delivering impactful talks on leadership, change, and collaboration. The event will be held between 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Registration is $35 a person and $250 for a table. To register, visit: To register at The forum will also celebrate and recognize the 2025 Southeast Minnesota Best Places to Work survey winners and host an insightful employer panel, making this a can't-miss event for anyone invested in workforce development. Lunch will be served. Reserve your spot today.
