Aug 13, 2026
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Add us on GoogleAmid an uncertain job market, some workers are looking to get a leg up by learning AI skills, and educational institutions are rushing to fill the gap.
Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows jobs that are expected to be impacted by AI are already seeing losses. Meanwhile, employers are increasingly including AI skills in their job postings, and the job market, which seemed to be rebounding in the spring, is currently in a slump.
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Enter AI training courses, or boot camps, where students can learn the skills they may need to succeed in an ever-expanding AI landscape. Whether held at traditional colleges or for-profit learning centers, these offerings have increased exponentially in recent years.
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What are employers looking for?
According to a spring job outlook report from the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), the rate that AI skills are being included in job descriptions for entry-level positions is increasing, and fast: from 10.5% in the fall of 2025 to 16.5% in spring 2026.
And of the employers that responded to the NACE survey, more than a third said entry-level positions require AI skills, which was almost triple the amount compared to fall 2025 survey responses.
Meanwhile, trends are starting to become visible when it comes to industries thought to be vulnerable to job losses due to AI. In 2024, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) outlined a group of jobs that were thought to be exposed to AI, and a Bloomberg analysis of BLS data from May 2024 to May 2025 found those occupations saw a 0.2% drop in employment.
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Boot camp overload
For those hoping to upskill, there’s been a rapid increase in offerings.
According to data from workforce database Revelio Labs, AI-related certifications made up between 1% to 2% of all professional certifications between 2018 and 2023. However, within months of the launch of ChatGPT, the numbers began to climb, Revelio says, tripling by 2024.
“By 2026, it had reached nearly 30% of all certifications: a 20x increase from pre-ChatGPT levels,” the Revelio report says.
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A report from Bloomberg likened the explosion in AI training to the “early 2010s coding boot camp boom.”
“With traditional universities moving at a glacial pace to set up computer science departments, credential programs stepped in. ‘Learn to code’ became the panacea for widespread unemployment following the 2007-09 recession, and students rushed to fill seats,” the report says.
So, how can you decide what kind of AI training could actually be helpful for your career? It’s an important question, as the type of training you choose could impact whether you see benefits such as wage premiums, according to a Brookings Institution report on non-degree credentials (NDCs).
How to find AI training that works for you
Researchers at Brookings Institution found the relevance of training to your specific occupation is “a critical determinant” when it comes to seeing wage returns.
“Workers’ first job-relevant NDC is associated with a 3.8% wage premium, more than double the 1.8% premium for job-irrelevant credentials,” the report says.
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For workers who accrue additional credentials, “each additional job-relevant NDC yields a 1% marginal wage increase, while accumulation of irrelevant NDCs shows no significant association with wages.”
The Bloomberg report noted it can be hard to predict what skills or platforms will be most useful for your occupation.
“Everyone is telling schools, you need to get in on AI, it’s urgent, it’s the future, it’s here,” Erik Leiden, managing director of workforce strategy at Burning Glass, told Bloomberg. “But it’s tough for colleges to know what students are going to need in the workforce, because it’s such an open question right now.”
For people who are currently employed, it can be worthwhile to seek out training that your employer will pay for. You can ask your HR department if there are any AI-related credentials currently supported by your company.
For those on the job hunt, aim to tailor your search to those programs that identify with your field. And be aware that there may be some companies out there that are trying to cash in on the AI boom. The Bloomberg report notes that some “players during the coding boot camp boom” are also getting into the AI boot camp game.
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Rebecca Payne has more than a decade of experience editing and producing both local and national daily newspapers. She's worked on the Toronto Star, the Globe and Mail, Metro, Canada's National Observer, the Virginian-Pilot and Daily Press.
