👶 Only 35% of Children Access ECE Globally. EU Targets Wastewater in Env Spending. IT Leadership Tops AI Roles.

Sawasdee 👋

New Zealand adds 1,800 Nurses to strengthen care services. ABB launches AI and digital solutions training centre in the UAE to upskill the workforce. Nigeria to deploy upto 2,000 SME renewable power solutions. Saudi Arabia to upskill industrial workforce.

Microsoft boosts AI investment in Ireland. The EU and Gambia sign a €20M deal to improve secondary schools and teacher training across the country. University of Toronto launches $24M research initiative.

Today's Topics

👶 Preschool. Only 35% of Children Attended ECE Programmes Globally
🍃 Green Skills. Nearly 40% of environmental investment was focused on wastewater
🤖 Artificial Intelligence. Nearly 60% of AI/ML respondents were IT operations or infrastructure leaders

Thanks for reading!

Not a subscriber yet?

👶 Only 35% of Children Attended ECE Programmes Globally

Early childhood attendance ranged around 35% globally for children aged 3-5. The widest gaps appeared in Africa, where several regions remained below 30%. These low rates mirror broader disparities in caregiver literacy and access to safe learning facilities highlighted across UNICEF reports. Growing investment in community-based centres and parental support programs is expected to expand participation as part of UNESCO’s Early Childhood Care and Education Initiative.

🍃 Nearly 40% of Environmental Investment Was Focused on Wastewater

Wastewater projects made up the largest share of environmental protection investment, followed by waste management. Air, soil, and biodiversity protection together accounted for under a quarter, showing how support skews toward infrastructure-heavy areas. The EU also sees significant untapped potential in wastewater reuse, estimating that the amount that could be reused is nearly six times higher than what is currently being utilized. These patterns align with broader pressures on water systems and urban waste volumes highlighted across recent sustainability reports. Rising commitments to nature restoration are expected as part of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration.

🤖 Nearly 60% of AI/ML Respondents Were IT Operations or Infrastructure Leaders

IT operations leaders made up the largest share of global AI survey respondents, followed by IT infrastructure leaders. This mix mirrors the shift toward enterprise-wide AI coordination seen in recent industry reports. Global AI usage is still driven by mainstream IT and leadership roles, suggesting that AI is becoming a standard part of enterprise operations. At the same time, the demand for data scientists and AI developers is growing rapidly, with many students choosing these career paths due to the significant future potential of AI. This trend indicates that organisations will increasingly rely on specialised talent to fully leverage AI capabilities.

Like getting this newsletter? Request a demo for unlimited access to over one million charts

Thank you for reading. Have a great week ahead!
Have some feedback or want to sponsor this newsletter? Let us know at qs.com.