expanding roles could exacerbate talent shortages. Adopting a skills-first approach can broaden talent pools and strengthen talent pipelines for these future roles.46 Moreover, the diverse requirements of the largest-growing jobs highlight the critical role of occupations that are often accessible through vocational training, apprenticeships, on-the-job experience, or associate degrees. However, the expected use of apprenticeships, short courses and online certificates in skills assessment has seen a slight decline since the report’s 2023 edition: 17% of employers anticipate prioritizing apprenticeships while 14% plan to consider online certificates in their hiring decisions. Workforce strategies in response to AI adoption The Future of Jobs Survey finds that 86% of employers expect AI and information processing technologies to transform their business by 2030. In the Financial Services (97%) and Electronics (95%) sectors, anticipated AI exposure is notably higher than the global average. By contrast, employers in sectors such as Energy Technology and Utilities (72%) and Government and Public Sector (76%) expect lower exposure to AI disruption by 2030. Larger organizations are considering it more likely that their business model will be transformed by AI: only 6% of companies with over 50,000 employees expect low AI exposure by 2030, compared to 16% of companies with fewer than 1,000 employees and 15% of those with 1,000-5,000 employees. Complementing the Future of Jobs Survey, the World Economic Forum’s Executive Opinion Survey captures insights from more than 11,000 executives worldwide. Regarding barriers to AI adoption, as presented in Figure 4.13, half of executives worldwide highlight a lack of skills to support adoption as the top barrier. This is closely followed by a lack of vision among managers and leaders (43%). Other obstacles include high costs of AI products and services (29%), lack of customization to local business needs (24%), complex regulations around AI and data usage (21%), and limited consumer demand (16%). Overall, these results point to a persistent gap in skills required for AI adoption, both for managers and workers. In response to expected AI disruption, reskilling and upskilling of the existing workforce to work more effectively alongside AI emerges as the most anticipated workforce strategy for companies headquartered in 45 out of the 55 economies covered by the report. By 2030, 77% of surveyed employers plan to implement this strategy (Figure 4.14). In addition, 69% of respondents plan to recruit talent skilled in AI tool design and enhancement, Share of employers surveyed (%)0 40 60 80 100 20 Skill assessment mechanisms, 2025-2030 FIGURE 4.12 Source World Economic Forum, Future of Jobs Survey 2024. 81% 48% 43% 34% 17% 14% 12% 4%Share of employers surveyed which will prioritize the following ways to assess skills when hiring. Evaluation of work experience Pre-employment tests Completion of a university degree Psychometric proﬁling Completion of apprenticeships Completion of short courses and online certiﬁcates Outsourcing to stafﬁng or recruitment ﬁrms We do not assess skills Future of Jobs Report 2025 62