Technology Disruption in 2021 + Beyond: What does AI, Machine Learning, & Big Data really mean? (Host: NL)

It’s no secret that AI, machine learning and big data have disrupted the way businesses are run.  The global pandemic has further pressured businesses to move toward digitalization and increase the speed with which employees and leaders had to leverage technology to get work done.  

Research has shown that over 90% of leading businesses have an ongoing investment in AI, and that the use of AI in many sectors of business has grown by 270% over the last four years. AI, machine learning and big data are tools for organizations to achieve profitability, scalability, and sustainability. They are a gateway to a future of work that has endless potential – if we have the accompanying workforce. It is crucial for organizations and leaders to prepare and equip their workforce with the right skill sets required to excel in this rapidly changing world of work now and for years to come. 

Join Newfoundland and Labrador leaders as they share their organizational and personal learnings and insights around what AI, machine learning and big data mean to job seekers and organizations looking to adapt and flourish in the future of work:

Introduced by Mark Patterson, Executive Director, Magnet and moderated by Chantal Brine, CEO, EnPoint, the event featured panelists:

• Lesley Galgay, Success Manager, Diversity, Genesis
• Andrew Sinclair, Founder & CEO, totaliQ & trajectorE
• Paul Preston, CEO, techNL

We encourage you to check out the organizations listed above and watch the recording of the sessions to form your own opinion on what stands out for you.

Here is our summary of key takeaways from the session packed full of insight, stories and advice:

1. What comes to mind when you think about ‘building future ready communities’?  

Here are themes that came to mind for our panelists in terms of building future ready communities considering the theme of “Technology Disruption in 2021 + Beyond: What does AI, Machine Learning, & Big Data really mean?”:

• Change is the only constant and the key to building future ready communities is the ability to adapt to a new pace of change. This holds true when we think about technology; technological adoption isn’t a “one and done” task, it is something that we have to continue to evolve. 
• Soft skills are and will continue to be important; cognitive skills such as problem solving, critical thinking, and adaptability are foundational. Technical competencies will continue to change, but these cognitive skills will help us adapt to that change.
• Considering technology’s impact on business models:
  •  What do future ready businesses need to do or look like? 
  • What is the implication of technology adoption in a hybrid (remote and in-office) business model? 
  • What role does technology play in workplace norms and culture? 
  • How do you effectively use tools and help your team leverage technology to coexist and collaborate in a hybrid work environment? 
• “Every company is becoming a tech company” and digital literacy applies to everybody in technology, not just those who operate in the technology sector. The pandemic accelerated the need for digital literacy and adoption for all folks whether they are starting or progressing their career, or on the side of hiring; think about what digital literacy means to job seekers, organizations and employers
• Technology disruption is all about the impact on people, and their ability to adapt and transform over time. 
• Advice is to explore simplified innovative experimentation; experimentation doesn’t have to be complex. The key is to innovate and iterate: take a step, learn something new, iterate, and then try again. For example, Gmail was in BETA version for five years, during which Google continued to make iterative changes to improve the platform. 

2. What is the most memorable “success story” you’ve experienced when you think about how your organization/group has contributed to ‘building future ready communities’? 

• Seeing companies invest in their technical infrastructure and capacity is something to be celebrated. 
  • TechNL has supported 380+ companies in starting that journey. 
  • Additionally, in recognizing the existing skill gap TechNL collaborated with Verafin to fuel growth and develop the talent pipeline through their high school internship program. In summer 2021, they placed 120+ high school students in internships with technology companies to help them gain exposure to careers in tech, explore skills within the big broad tech sector, and build technical capacity from an early age.
• Acceleration in remote work enables workforces to become more diverse as organizations increasingly access global skills and communities. 
• Genesis has advanced the conversation on equity, diversity, inclusion and belonging. As an example, their Start-Up Visa program attracts high growth potential startups around the world to launch and develop their businesses in Newfoundland and Labrador. 
• Additionally, Genesis’ Women in Tech program focuses on retention of women in the sector- nurturing role models and using mentorship. The program has resulted in the growth of representation of women founders from 0% to over 30% in three years. 
• Productivity tools help organizations thrive, even in the pandemic. Leaning into tools like this was echoed throughout this discussion.
  • totaliQ & trajectorE have used tools to overcome ambiguity and excel in terms of productivity. They have applied these tools to support clients; for example, a global client in the aerospace industry was struggling to get engineer staff to share best practices. However, since adopting an expertise management platform as a key part of their business process, they have gained visibility and thrived in sharing knowledge across locations. 

3. In your view, what do you see as the primary role that each of us has to play in building future ready communities? 

• Looking at this from the employer perspective, it is important to take a purposeful approach for using technology to create value for your business. 
  • It’s really a matter of figuring out what makes sense for your business by identifying specific pain points and skill gaps. 
  • When you think about big concepts like artificial intelligence, big data, and/or machine learning, and find yourself saying that you want it, it’s important to understand why you want to adopt the technology and what is the value that you will be creating in doing so.
• Taking a proactive problem solving approach and engaging in dialogue to advocate on behalf of the industry as a whole to set priorities to help build future ready communities.
• As an employer, mentor, and/or influencer, we all have a role to play in advocating continuous learning in our organizations as well as in the community. 
• Universally we need to identify how to augment AI in a more robust way. People have to continuously adapt; new occupations are emerging and old ones becoming redundant as AI displaces low skill jobs. 
• Canada is a country of SMEs; small businesses constituted 98% of all businesses and employed 8.4 million individuals in 2018. Unlike large companies with strict corporate law and policy, SMEs can proactively make iterative changes and adopt technology. 
• Support early learning for young girls and other marginalized populations interested in careers in STEM. 
  • E.g. TechNL, in partnership with the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, College of North Atlantic, and Newfoundland & Labrador English School District, implemented the Technology Career Pathway program for the 2021-2022 school year that introduced college accredited technology courses in 15 pilot high schools in Newfoundland and Labrador. The program supports interested students to more easily transition from high school to Information Technology programs, and students that complete the course receive a $2,500 voucher toward a tech program upon graduation.

4. What would be your biggest piece of advice, take away or lesson learned to job seekers, organizations preparing talent for the workforce and/or employers that want to hire talented individuals, in regard to building a diverse talent pipeline in technology so that future ready communities are representative of all of us?

For job seekers and employees:

• Individuals need to take accountability for their own development, explore their own passions and interests, and overlay this with their career to chart their own path. 
• Consider if Microcredentials are for you; they are a great resume building (and skill building) exercise. Gaining badges of completion through self-paced learning using free or affordable online courses, such as Udemi, Coursera, Get Coding!
• Get involved and volunteer at hackathons, tech meet-ups, coding clubs, etc., 
• Take on personal projects that demonstrate your skill sets- to add to your portfolio at any stage of career development
• Get on LinkedIn to network in-person or virtually. Leverage your profile to communicate your skills, learnings, and experience.
• Learning a new skill today does not guarantee relevance in the next 30 years. Thus, perpetual learning is critical for success.

For organizations and/or employers:

• We overestimate the impact of technology in the long-term, and underestimate the impact of technology in the short-term.
• Remember the “See it, be it” mentality. Role models and mentors play an important role in creating opportunities and sharing experiences and learnings.
• Employers cannot treat employees and interns as a homogeneous group; everybody has a different need.  
• Investing in your people will inevitably see returns.
• Take tangible action to create a diverse and inclusive community that is digitally ready. For example, participante in the 50:30 Challenge, or create bylaws that encourage diversity.
• ‘Diversity of thought’ leads to better outcomes from a business perspective. Create equal opportunity for diverse groups to enter and develop within the field of technology by collaborating with organizations like ACCES (and others), which helps new Candians enter the workforce.

5. What are some resources, books, Ted Talks, or podcasts, that have been instrumental in shaping your view on the future of work?

• The Conference Board of Canada
• Future Skills Centre
• Information and Communications Technology Council (ICTC)
• Finland is challenging the entire world to understand AI by offering a completely free online course
• “The Future of Work” Podcast with Jacob Morgan
• “The Infinite Game” by Simon Sinek
• “Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones” by James Clear 
• TechNL Jobs
• Genesis Careers
• Student Work Placement Program Funding
• Align Tool

Closing Remarks

A theme that comes across loud and consistently right across the board is that we all have the responsibility to be role models and mentors to those who can leverage and benefit from the support, and to the people who are not yet in the sector but want to explore opportunities.

At the heart of it, even though we are talking about technology disruption in 2021 and beyond, technology is actually about people. Without people, there is no technology disruption. There will be certain jobs that shift and change as technology evolves, that is no different than what has happened in the past, but that being said, we still need humans in jobs that leverage technology and that is not going to go away any time soon.

Guiding discussion questions:

Continue the discussion and share insights and resources with other leaders, experts and peers in the Community of Practice! To get you started, here are some guiding questions: 

1. If you were giving advice to someone looking to build technical skill sets, is there a particular resource that you would recommend?
   
2. What steps has your organization and/or program/ initiative(s) taken to create opportunities and ensure that everyone can participate in the future world of work?
   
3. What benchmarks, success stories and / or resources discussed by the panelists can you adapt/apply to your organization?
   
4. What is one thing your organization is continuously iterating on to adopt or advance your use of technology?

About the panelists: 

Lesley Galgay, Success Manager, Diversity, Genesis Centre

As a Portfolio Success Manager at Genesis, Lesley supports high-growth potential technology start-ups access the financial, strategic and mentorship support they need to scale their ventures.  Lesley’s past experience is diverse, having worked in finance, business development and innovation management across a variety of sectors.  Currently, Lesley enjoys her ‘slash career’ – focusing on technology founder success, consulting for high-potential women entrepreneurs and teaching in the areas of diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging.

Genesis

The Genesis Centre is a hub for the community – bridging people in shared celebration, learning and play. The Genesis Centre is a 225,000 square foot, $120 million multi-purpose complex enriching the health, wellness, and unity of Northeast Calgary. It is not only a venue for sport and recreation, but a place which caters to the diverse interest of the community. Facility spaces are capable of hosting everything from cultural events, social occasions, and performing arts, to business oriented uses such as trade shows, conferences, and corporate team building.

Andrew Sinclair, Founder & CEO, totaliQ & trajectorE

Andrew is the Founder & CEO of totaliQ, a NL-based software company helping engineering companies maximize the value of their expertise, and trajectorE, an engineering company focused on digitization in the industrial sector. Andrew previously spent well over a decade working in a large mining company in a series of roles from industrial automation to project management, engineering, and the deployment of business systems at the business unit level. Andrew is an electrical engineer, holds an MBA, a masters in project management, is a licensed Professional Engineer, a Project Management Professional and a dedicated volunteer who has sat on a number of non-profit boards of directors. 

totaliQ

totaliQ is an Expertise Management Platform that helps organizations maximize the value of lessons learned, while maintaining a real-time inventory of employee expertise. totaliQ engages employees to cross-train and share experiences in a way that allows the organization to intelligently leverage the value of this content. With totaliQ, you can better plan projects and realize employees’ full potential, all while generating a real time inventory of expertise.

trajectorE

trajectorE’s mission is to revolutionize industry through technology, experience and ingenuity. Founded in 2016, trajectorE’s team of passionate professionals has worked with customers across a range of industries, including mining, mineral processing, manufacturing, cannabis, construction and healthcare. trajectorE’s culture is the foundation of everything they do. The basis of that culture is defined in terms of their values of people first, customer obsessed, continuous improvement, awesome team and open communication, which guides behaviour every day.

Paul Preston, CEO, techNL

Paul Preston is CEO of techNL (formerly NATI), where he and his team work to develop and grow the province’s technology and innovation sector. This includes driving the mandate of Bounce, a med-tech accelerator for the province, as well as multi-year digitalization initiatives that aim to help other sectors of the economy become tech-enabled. Paul was previously the Director of Science, Technology and Innovation at The Conference Board of Canada in Ottawa, where he led a team that delivered advice to industry, academia and governments on innovation strategy. He has travelled extensively to understand how different jurisdictions drive their innovation systems, has presented to leaders in places such as Israel, Silicon Valley, New York, and Boston, and has been called as an Expert Witness to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Technology. 

Paul also worked in finance, providing services to help technology companies grow and compete internationally, and was Director of Business Development with Plato Group/Camouflage Software in both St. John’s and Ottawa. He is active on numerous Task Force groups, Boards, and Committees and has completed the ICD.D designation from the Rotman School of Management. He is co-Chair of Atlantic Canada’s ICT Committee (ACOA) and is Chair of the Digital Technology Committee of the Premier’s Health Accord Task Force. After working for 15 years out of Ottawa, Paul currently resides in St. John’s, NL with his wife and two kids, where he volunteers as a hockey coach and spends his time building outdoor rinks in winter!

techNL

techNL is a not-for-profit industry association representing the province’s technology and innovation sector for over 30 years. techNL’s mission is to enable the growth of the technology and innovation economy. 

techNL embraces the opportunity to work with like-minded organizations towards shared goals.  Their programming is focused on talent development, growth and scale-up, and advancing opportunities in priority sectors. Providing a strong voice for the sector, techNL works closely with industry and government partners to help shape policy and advocate for those issues that matter most to members.