A sobering end-of-year report from the Office of the New York State Comptroller revealed that a pandemic-weary New York City is still reeling from record-high youth unemployment numbers. According to the report, there are nearly two times as many unemployed younger workers as in 2019. These worrisome numbers have been compounded by a profound skills mismatch that keeps unemployment rates for 16- to 24-year-olds in the double digits, even while employers continue to report a chronic shortage of workers.

In December 2022, SkyHive Founder and CEO Sean Hinton and JobsFirstNYC President and CEO Marjorie Parker sat down for a one-on-one to share the duo’s plan to harness the power of Quantum Labor Analysis to unleash the power of human potential in the New York City area.

Both CEOs reflected on the ‘aha moment’ that led to their consequential alliance as they spoke about the challenges of an inequitable and temperamental job market, and ways to build a sustainable blueprint that can maintain pace with the current skills gap. Hinton and Parker agreed that the diversity of New York City makes it one of the best places to demonstrate the transformational power of artificial intelligence and how both organizations hope to connect thousands of young people who are seeking jobs with in-demand skills training and local jobs.

World Class Technology and Local Community Stakeholders: Yes, the Twain Shall Meet

What sparked the initial connection between a multinational like SkyHive and JobsFirstNYC?

Marjorie: I remember we met at a conference in Detroit focused on the future of work. You [Sean] were talking about Adaptive AI and then when you came off the stage, we happened to sit at the same table. The encounter felt like there was some greater purpose for that. For me, I was thinking about the skills maps toward higher wages. That topic resonated with me at the time because residents in the neighborhoods we [JobsFirstNYC] partner with had been telling us that they have access to training for low-wage jobs and that they are getting roles they would have been able to access on their own. So when I listened to you talk, I thought that skills mapping could be a valuable tool in identifying community-level needs. If we can understand the skills that exist, then we can determine skilling, reskilling, and upskilling needs to get people on pathways to higher-wage jobs.

Sean: I think the interesting intersection between JobsFirstNYC and SkyHive is this notion of neighborhood-level reskilling. To be very clear, we have not ever in the world’s history been able to harness real-time information on the supply and demand condition of what’s happening in a neighborhood. That, in my opinion, is the most innovative aspect of the intersection with the work that JobsFirstNYC is doing. SkyHive is a for-profit social impact organization. So our job is to take on the innovation that traditional technology providers will shy away from and lean into pushing innovation using our technology. We also believe that reskilling, whether it’s a community or a country, can only be achieved through a combination of art and science. SkyHive’s job is to bring science. JobsFirstNYC’s job is to bring the art.

“If we can understand the skills that exist, then we can determine skilling, reskilling, and upskilling needs to get people on pathways to higher-wage jobs.” – Marjorie Parker, President and CEO of JobsFirstNYC

Transforming Workforce through the Power of Data

Marjorie: SkyHive is making a huge impact on the world. You have just secured U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) U.S. Patent No. 11,164,153 titled “Generating Skill Data Through Machine Learning.” What does the patent mean for the future of workforce development?

Sean: The IP covers the use of machine learning to generate skills. This will help us rapidly increase our effort to reskill, upskill, and democratize the labor market everywhere. It recognizes us as the leader in using artificial intelligence for skills data. SkyHive also holds the patent for a “Job Description Generator for Unbiased Skills Intelligence.” This U.S. Patent No. 11,373,146 removes the need for writing traditional job descriptions and automates job description creation by using a combination of machine learning and statistical analysis of job-related data.

Creative Collaboration is the Key to a Nimble Workforce

Marjorie: What makes the JobsFirstNYC/SkyHive collaboration unique?

Sean: We are honored that JobsFirstNYC will be using our real-time labor market intelligence and ethical AI to analyze labor markets at the skill level. JobsFirstNYC is building skilling and reskilling pathways for community members to secure better jobs and higher wages. Together, we’re tackling the traditional barriers impeding job searching, recruitment, and pathways to career opportunities for those with varying qualifications.

Skills Mapping 101

Marjorie: Let’s break it down… What is skills mapping and who benefits?

Sean: For individuals, skills mapping allows them to understand the skills they have, the skills they’ll need, and how to bridge the gap. For employers, skills mapping focuses on which skills are required to fill a given role, perform a certain task, or put together a special task force. It is also a way of finding out what skills already exist within organizations.

“Traditional hiring and recruitment norms have disenfranchised a lot of people, which is why JobsFirstNYC and SkyHive share a vision to help democratize the skills-based hiring process.” – Sean Hinton, Founder and CEO of SkyHive

Protecting Equity and Opportunity

Marjorie: How does SkyHive assure people who are apprehensive about AI replacing them? Some folks are distrustful of the technology.

Sean: SkyHive is a living wage employer and a proud public proponent of the ethical use of artificial intelligence. Everything that SkyHive does is very focused on ethics and AI. In addition to that, the White House has issued a Blueprint for an AI Bill of Rights, and this January New York will be implementing its own anti-AI bias legislation. As an organization, SkyHive is dedicated to taking companies into the future of work with a culture of diversity, quality, and inclusion.

Matching Skills with Emerging Trends

Marjorie: Given the volatility of the economy and recent upheavals in unemployment, how can SkyHive’s technology ensure that young people are learning the skills they’ll actually need to meaningfully participate in the workforce and secure life-sustaining jobs?

Sean: SkyHive’s technology identifies skills that are forming future jobs in emerging areas such as renewable energy, the metaverse, climate tech, advanced manufacturing, and also tracking how current and traditional jobs are changing over time.

A Blueprint for New York

Marjorie: Sean, I think our partnership is revolutionary and will provide a more robust response for New York’s evolving workforce. JobsFirstNYC and SkyHive are bringing skills-mapping technology to enhance job access and streamline skills-based hiring processes for New York City’s workforce. Using real-time labor market intelligence and ethical artificial intelligence to analyze labor markets at the skill level.

Building Bridges between Employers and Workers

Marjorie: According to SkyHive’s website “Future-skills predictions enable individuals, companies, and communities to take a deeper look at what’s needed to prepare for the future of work.” How does an individual use that information to their advantage?

Sean: SkyHive’s information is a real-time currency for individuals. Each person who uses the platform gets a view of who is hiring, where the jobs are, and what skills the employers are seeking. Workers who prioritize skill assessment and development will gain a competitive advantage in the workforce.

Skills Mapping NYC 2023

Marjorie: Sean, 2023 will be a transformative year for the New York workforce. At JobsFirstNYC we are committed to seeking and developing solutions that address each community that we partner with. I am confident that our innovative partnership will break down barriers for young people. What are you looking forward to in 2023?

Sean: My goal is to see a dynamic and responsive workforce development tool that is scaled to meet the needs of local communities. Traditional hiring and recruitment norms have disenfranchised a lot of people, which is why JobsFirstNYC and SkyHive share a vision to help democratize the skills-based hiring process.

JobsFirstNYC invites nonprofit partners, job seekers, and employers to join our Skills Mapping initiative powered by SkyHive. Job seekers can create their skills profiles and explore the opportunities, nonprofits can upload trainings, and employers can post jobs, match to skilled workers, and meet hiring demands. Click here to express interest in Skills Mapping. 

Read more about SkyHive and JobsFirstNYC

About SkyHive Technologies
SkyHive is a Certified B Corporation and software provider of global workforce intelligence technology, optimizing labor market efficiencies in real-time for companies, communities, and national economies. Leading enterprises use SkyHive’s cloud-based applications and platforms to power the future of work at its most granular level: skills. SkyHive’s Quantum Labor Analysis™ has been recognized by the World Economic Forum, Gartner, and Forbes for leading efforts in ethical AI and its positive impact on labor economies worldwide. For more information, visit www.skyhive.ai

About JobsFirstNYC
JobsFirstNYC creates and advances solutions that break down barriers and transform the systems supporting young adults and their communities in pursuit of economic mobility. We build community-driven partnerships, citywide and industry-led employment networks, and policy-solutions, all of which have improved economic mobility for individuals and the communities they live in. The partnerships have reconnected 10,200+ young adults to education and employment and raised and leveraged $30M of public and private investment. Since 2006, JobsFirstNYC has worked with organizations and institutions across New York and developed models that have been replicated and integrated across the workforce system. For more information, visit www.jobsfirstnyc.org