{"id":223480,"date":"2025-10-13T15:38:14","date_gmt":"2025-10-14T01:38:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/?p=223480"},"modified":"2025-10-13T15:38:36","modified_gmt":"2025-10-14T01:38:36","slug":"uh-ai-powered-workforce","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/2025\/10\/13\/uh-ai-powered-workforce\/","title":{"rendered":"UH<\/abbr> prepares for an AI<\/abbr>-powered workforce"},"content":{"rendered":"Reading time: <\/span> 2<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>

\"human<\/p>\n

The University of Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> is working to ensure students and faculty are ready for the rapidly changing job market shaped by artificial intelligence (AI<\/abbr>). On October 3, UH<\/abbr> Chief Academic Technology and Innovation Officer Ina Wanca<\/a> presented key developments in UH<\/abbr>\u2019s vision for AI<\/abbr> implementation to the UH<\/abbr> Workforce Learning Community<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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Ina Wanca<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A top priority, Wanca said, is helping students access robust career opportunities while meeting their educational needs more effectively and equitably. She illustrated this through a fictional 2030 student who uses AI<\/abbr> to translate complex concepts, access skill programs and receive proactive support from instructors.<\/p>\n

“This is what we want to create here at the University of Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span>,” said Wanca. “This is human-AI<\/abbr> synergy. Not AI<\/abbr> replacing people, but AI<\/abbr> amplifying empathy and awareness.”<\/p>\n

Wanca introduced the SPACE<\/abbr> framework (Strategy, Partnerships, Actions, Culture and Evolution) to guide UH<\/abbr>\u2019s AI<\/abbr> integration. The approach aligns workforce priorities, builds partnerships with employers, connects classroom learning to workforce needs, and fosters a culture of curiosity and experimentation.<\/p>\n

‘Unapologetically human’<\/h2>\n

She emphasized that employers already expect graduates to have AI<\/abbr> literacy. With 86% of students using AI<\/abbr> and 72% wanting formal AI<\/abbr> training, UH<\/abbr> aims to close that gap by empowering faculty through training, policies and innovative teaching examples.<\/p>\n

“One trained professor means hundreds of AI<\/abbr>-ready graduates,” Wanca said.<\/p>\n

UH<\/abbr>\u2019s AI<\/abbr> vision is grounded in equity, belonging, stewardship, curiosity, courage and human oversight. Five guiding pillars\u2014AI<\/abbr> for People, AI<\/abbr> Ethics and Governance, AI<\/abbr> for Discovery, AI<\/abbr> for Operations and AI<\/abbr> for Scale\u2014will direct initiatives across all 10 campuses.<\/p>\n

“We are building and innovating with AI<\/abbr>, but AI<\/abbr> still lacks context, empathy, judgement and reflection. Those kinds of human skills are irreplaceable,” said Wanca. “So that\u2019s the future we\u2019re building together. Yes, we are building it faster, but hopefully it\u2019s more equitable, and I want to make sure this future is unapologetically human.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

UH<\/abbr>\u2019s AI<\/abbr> strategy focuses on equity, ethics and human-centered innovation.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[25],"tags":[1602,61,62,63,64,65,71,14,9,60,947,59,66,603],"class_list":["post-223480","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-academic-news","tag-ai","tag-hawaii-community-college","tag-honolulu-community-college","tag-kapiolani-community-college","tag-kauai-community-college","tag-leeward-community-college","tag-uh-community-colleges","tag-uh-hilo","tag-uh-manoa","tag-maui-college","tag-uh-system","tag-uh-west-oahu","tag-windward-community-college","tag-workforce-development","entry","has-media"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t