Michelle Vaz, Managing Director, AWS Training and Certification. — Photos courtesy of AWS

HÀ NỘI — Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly becoming a core part of business operations, reshaping how work is performed across industries, according to Michelle Vaz, Managing Director, AWS Training and Certification. 

She said that as this transformation accelerates, AI skills are no longer optional but increasingly essential for young professionals entering the labour market.

Across industries, AI is transforming how work is done, from automating routine tasks to supporting more complex decision-making. While this shift creates new opportunities, it also raises the risk that many young professionals may enter the labour market without the skills required to succeed.

Michelle said one of the biggest challenges is what can be described as an 'urgency gap'. Despite the rapid adoption of AI, awareness of the need to upskill remains relatively low. Many people still assume that AI is only relevant for those in technical fields such as software development or data science. This perception is increasingly outdated.

Generative AI tools have made advanced technologies accessible to a much broader group of users. Today, administrative staff, marketing professionals and human resources specialists are all expected to work alongside AI systems that enhance productivity and efficiency. As a result, AI literacy is quickly becoming a basic requirement, even for entry-level roles.

However, many graduates are not fully prepared for this shift. Without timely intervention, the gap between workforce expectations and actual skill levels could widen, making it harder for young people to secure employment and build sustainable careers.

In Việt Nam, the urgency of this issue is particularly clear. The country has set an ambitious goal of becoming a regional AI hub by 2030, supported by its national AI strategy. At the same time, Việt Nam’s digital economy is projected to grow rapidly in the coming years, with AI expected to play a central role.

To meet these ambitions, talent development has become a top priority. Efforts are underway to reskill existing workers while also integrating AI into higher education curricula. Technology companies are contributing by providing training programmes that equip learners with cloud computing and AI capabilities. Since 2017, AWS has trained more than 100,000 people in Việt Nam in cloud-related skills and is now expanding its focus to include generative AI and advanced technologies.

These initiatives support the country’s goal of producing a large, highly skilled workforce capable of competing in the global digital economy. However, training alone is not enough. The speed of technological change means that skills can quickly become outdated.

Research shows that the 'half-life' of skills – the time it takes for a skill to lose half its value – has dropped significantly in recent years. In some cases, it has fallen from more than a decade to just a few years, particularly in technical fields. This trend highlights the need for continuous learning and adaptability throughout a person’s career.

Educational institutions are beginning to respond by incorporating AI into their programmes, but progress remains uneven. Schools serving disadvantaged communities often have less access to cutting-edge resources, creating disparities in learning opportunities.

Stronger collaboration between industry and academia is therefore essential. Public–private partnerships can help bring real-world applications of AI into classrooms, ensuring that students gain practical, job-ready skills. Programmes such as AWS Academy, which provides free cloud and AI curricula to thousands of institutions worldwide, are one example of how this gap can be addressed.

The final round of the VPBank Technology Hackathon in 2025.

Beyond formal education, businesses also play a critical role in workforce development. Companies are increasingly investing in training programmes to help employees build new skills and adapt to changing job requirements.

In Việt Nam, AWS is partnering with enterprises to drive workforce transformation at scale. Vietnam Prosperity Joint-Stock Commercial Bank (VPBank) demonstrates this commitment – leveraging AWS Skill Builder to provide employees with access to an extensive library of over 600 courses and 25 curated learning paths spanning AI, machine learning, GenAI, security, databases and storage.

This partnership extends to collaborative talent initiatives, including the VPBank Technology Hackathon in 2024 and 2025, which have drawn thousands of participants and enabled the recruitment of hundreds of technology professionals across Việt Nam for the bank.

Despite these efforts, another key challenge remains: the lack of clear guidance on what specific AI skills are needed for different professions. While it is widely accepted that workers must adapt to technological change, there is still uncertainty about which competencies are most relevant for roles in fields such as marketing, finance or the humanities.

This 'skills taxonomy' gap makes it difficult for students to choose appropriate learning paths and for educators to design effective curricula. To address this issue, closer collaboration between industry stakeholders is needed to define role-specific AI skills and create clear frameworks for workforce development.

Early research is beginning to map these requirements, identifying the capabilities needed for entry-level positions in various sectors. Expanding this work will be critical to ensuring that training efforts align with real-world demand.

Ultimately, preparing young professionals for an AI-driven labour market is a shared responsibility. Employers must go beyond adopting new technologies and invest in comprehensive workforce transformation strategies. Educational institutions need to update curricula more rapidly, while policymakers should create supportive frameworks that promote lifelong learning.

At the same time, students must be given accessible opportunities to develop AI literacy, regardless of their field of study. Without inclusive access to training, there is a risk of creating a divided workforce – one group equipped with the skills to thrive in the AI era, and another struggling to keep up.

AI has the potential to eliminate routine tasks and allow young professionals to focus on more meaningful and strategic work. However, realising this potential depends on collective action.

By working together to close the skills gap, stakeholders can ensure that AI enhances opportunities rather than deepening inequality. The future of work will be shaped not only by technology, but by how effectively society prepares the next generation to use it. — VNS