Job training for women, from millinery to AI

Grace Institute’s broad aim of helping women access employment has remained unchanged since its founding in 1897, but the skills it teaches in service of this mission have changed considerably, continually evolving with changes in technology and the labor market. Out are millinery, dressmaking, and cookery. In is the new AI Mobility Project being piloted with support from the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF).

This project, like all of Grace Institute’s programming, layers specialized training on top of a course covering core hard- and soft-skill professional competencies. “I learned skills in Microsoft Word, Outlook, Google Suite, calendar scheduling, PowerPoint, Excel, professional writing, and created a strong resume,” said one past Grace Institute participant of some of the core skills she gained in service of her goal of becoming an executive assistant.

Now, many of these competencies have been updated to reflect the infusion of AI into office software as well as the practical and ethical questions this can raise. Participants are learning how to maintain their voice and their judgement when using AI writing tools, how to safeguard privacy and sensitive information when using meeting notetaker agents, how to use automated data-cleaning functions in Excel, and more.

Grace Institute is consulting with industry experts as it builds out an AI-specific specialized training that will build on these core skills. In the meantime, a cohort of 112 women between the ages of 18 and 64, like all those Grace Institute serves, began the AI-infused core program in January.