FutureWork

The FutureWork portfolio—developed through NJIT’s Learning and Development Initiative (LDI)—exists because the relationship between learning, work, and identity is being rewritten in real time. Automation, AI, and demographic shifts are redefining what it means to be employable, adaptable, and human in the modern economy. According to the World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report 2025, six in ten workers will require retraining by 2030, yet fewer than half of organizations have formal upskilling strategies in place. Similar findings in Deloitte’s 2025 Global Human Capital Trends show that while most executives recognize the need for transformation, few have yet built systems that connect technological innovation with human capability. Meanwhile, McKinsey’s A New Future of Work: The Race to Deploy AI and Raise Skills in Europe and Beyond underscores that the speed of AI adoption now outpaces institutions’ ability to prepare workers for the technologies transforming their jobs.

FutureWork meets this gap head-on. It provides a structured, affordable, and evidence-based pathway for learners and organizations seeking to build skills in an age where technology changes faster than curriculum cycles. Each program in the FutureWork portfolio connects academic rigor with workforce relevance—ensuring that learning translates directly into applied competence, confidence, and career mobility. In an era of AI acceleration, FutureWork empowers individuals not just to keep pace with change, but to shape it. It teaches participants how to navigate uncertainty, build digital fluency, and stay authentically human while integrating new tools and systems into their work and life.

Why FutureWork Matters

• Bridges the gap between education and employment: FutureWork translates academic learning into practical, job-relevant skills that improve employability across sectors.

• Responds to rapid technological change: As AI and automation reshape work, FutureWork provides timely, adaptive learning pathways aligned with real-world demands.

• Expands access to lifelong learning: Affordable, modular microcredentials and short courses make professional development possible for learners at every stage of their career.

• Strengthens workforce and organizational agility: Businesses, schools, and nonprofits use FutureWork to build capacity, close skill gaps, and future-proof their teams.

• Centers the human in the age of AI: FutureWork emphasi.es ethical technology use, emotional intelligence, and creativity—qualities that define enduring value in an automated world.