🛠️ Skills and Workforce #52

Hello 👋

Global labor market dynamics over the week reflect both structural adjustments and economic divergence. Amazon is laying off 14,000 corporate employees as part of AI restructuring efforts, while in the US, General Motors cut down its workforce by over 3,330 employees due to slowing EV demand. Meanwhile, Singapore, despite global recessionary pressures, experienced rapid labor market growth, adding up to 24,800 jobs in the third quarter of 2025.

Workforce development initiatives continue to accelerate across key sectors. In Green Skills, Pearson-CEWD expanded US energy training, Oman Cables launched a Sustainability Academy, and Vietnam opened a Green Hydrogen Hub. In advanced manufacturing, ASTM and CECIMO advanced global standards for additive manufacturing training, UAFS invested $5.7M in robotics and automation labs, and Auburn launched the NextFlex Alabama Node for hybrid electronics research. In digital skills, Pakistan trains 200,000 youth, Ho Chi Minh City educates 2M citizens in AI, and Microsoft upskills New Zealand’s creative sector. In healthcare, US grants include $4M in Arkansas to train midwives, $12.1M in Kansas to support rural clinicians, and Maryland’s FutureCare facility to create 200 jobs and expand clinical workforce capacity.

Thanks for reading!

Global Labor Market Trends

💼 Amazon To Lay Off 14,000 Corporate Employees. Amazon announces layoffs impacting 14,000 white-collar roles as part of restructuring efforts. The move integrates AI-driven efficiency measures and cost optimization despite sustained profitability, reflecting a broader corporate trend toward automation and cloud-focused investments across major technology firms.

🌆 Singapore Experiences Rapid Labor Market Growth. Singapore adds 24,800 jobs in Q3 2025, marking robust employment growth as retrenchments remain stable at 3,500. Despite a slight rise in unemployment, hiring sentiment stays positive, though wage growth is expected to moderate in line with slower economic expansion.

⚙️ General Motors Cuts Over 3,300 Jobs Amid EV Demand Slowdown. General Motors reduces more than 3,300 positions due to weakening EV demand and shifting policy conditions. The decision signals continued workforce realignment in the automotive sector as firms balance automation, efficiency, and long-term strategies for sustainable electric mobility.

Green Skills

⚡ Pearson and CEWD Expand Energy Workforce Pathways. Pearson partnered with the Center for Energy Workforce Development to connect students with careers in the energy industry, integrate workforce-aligned training, and broaden access to certifications and apprenticeships supporting the power, utilities, and renewable energy sectors across the US. 

🌱 Oman Cables Launches Sustainability Academy to Foster Green Skills. Oman Cables Industry established the Sustainability Academy to educate employees and partners in renewable energy, circular economy, and sustainable manufacturing practices, aligning with Oman Vision 2040 and national objectives for developing a green workforce and promoting responsible industrial growth.

🌿 Vietnam Launches National Green Hydrogen Hub at VGU. Vietnam inaugurated the Green Hydrogen Hub at the Vietnamese-German University in Binh Duong to train a skilled hydrogen workforce, showcase advanced technologies, and connect industry, researchers, and policymakers, fostering collaboration across the nation’s emerging hydrogen ecosystem.

Advanced Manufacturing Skills

🌍 ASTM and CECIMO Collaborate to Enhance Global Additive Manufacturing. ASTM International and AM Europe (CECIMO) signed an MoU to standardize practices, improve certification, and develop workforce training, encouraging knowledge sharing among industry, government, and academia, and boosting international cooperation in aerospace, medical, energy, and defense additive manufacturing sectors.

⚡ Auburn University launches the NextFlex Alabama Node to advance hybrid electronics. Partnering with NextFlex and Alabama, Auburn University established the Alabama Node as a center for research, workforce development, and industry adoption of hybrid electronics. This initiative aims to strengthen automotive, aerospace, and defense manufacturing while boosting US competitiveness in advanced electronics.

🤖 UAFS Expands Advanced Manufacturing Lab With Robotics and Automation. The University of Arkansas-Fort Smith invested $5.7M in grant-funded FAS-200 assembly systems and ABB Cobot FlexTrainers, added new additive manufacturing and materials testing equipment, and plans further Industry 4.0 upgrades, giving students hands-on experience with advanced smart manufacturing technologies.

AI & Digital Skills

🎓 Ho Chi Minh City Aims to Educate Two Million Citizens in AI by 2030. Ho Chi Minh City approved a comprehensive AI education strategy for its residents. The plan will integrate AI into school curricula and offer public training programs to develop a skilled workforce for the city's expanding digital economy.

🌐 Pakistan Launches New Digital Transformation Programs for 2025. The Ignite National Technology Fund is launching new digital skills and startup support programs. The initiatives aim to boost IT exports, train over 200,000 youth in digital freelancing, and fund 500 new tech startups to accelerate Pakistan's digital economy.

💻 Microsoft Funds New Digital Skills Program for West Auckland's Creative Sector. Microsoft New Zealand is partnering with local organizations to launch a digital upskilling program. It will provide the creative sector in West Auckland with training in AI, cloud technology, and digital tools to enhance their businesses and career opportunities.

Health Skills

🌾 Kansas Deploys $12.1M Grant to Support Rural Healthcare Workforce. A new $12.1M federal grant will fund programs to train and support healthcare professionals in rural Kansas. The initiative focuses on clinical rotations and training for nurses, medical assistants, and behavioral health staff to address local shortages.

🤰 $4M Grant Expands Maternal Care in Rural South Arkansas. A new $4M federal grant will fund a program to train and certify nurse midwives and doulas in rural South Arkansas. The initiative aims to tackle the maternal health crisis and reduce mortality rates in underserved counties.

🏥 Maryland Governor Invests in Healthcare Workforce Development. Governor Wes Moore announced a new FutureCare facility in Annapolis to address the state's healthcare staffing shortage. The initiative will create over 200 jobs and provide clinical training for nursing and rehabilitation professionals.

Thank you for reading. Have a great week ahead!
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