Axios

RALEIGH, N.C. — Apprenticeships, skills-based training, technology and cross-sector partnerships are reshaping how employers identify, train and hire new talent.

Why it matters: The shift beyond four-year degrees is helping businesses build talent pipelines that can adapt faster to changing technology and workforce needs.

Axios' Zachery Eanes and Mary Helen Moore moderated the Aug. 25 roundtable discussion. The event was sponsored by Western Governors University.

5 big takeaways from the conversation:

1. AI could elevate employees rather than displace them, said SAS executive vice president and chief operating officer Gavin Day. "It's about teaching them how to embrace new technology."
2. Durable skills, or "soft skills" like adaptability and problem-solving, are increasingly important to landing a job and succeeding in it, Chegg Skills senior vice president and general manager Colin Coggins said.
3. It's time to "change the narrative" that everyone should go to college, ApprenticeshipNC director Chris Harrington said. "Only 30% of jobs in America require a four-year degree," he added. Pursuing other options isn't "an alternative pathway — it's just a different path."
4. There's a "significant shortage" of technology and cybersecurity workers in North Carolina, said Nate Denny, secretary and CIO of the N.C. Department of Information Technology. The department relies on "apprenticeship programs, on internships, to get folks outside of a traditional four-year institution" into agency roles.
5. Cross-sector collaboration can help shorten the timeline from education to employment, said Anke Kokrhoun, head HR at Siemens Electrification and Automation U.S. She points to relationships between businesses and schools that share grants, technology and training to prepare a new generation of workers.

Content from the sponsor's remarks:

In opening remarks, Ben Coulter, Southeast regional director for Western Governors University, said the organization is eager to contribute to the talent pipeline in North Carolina.

• "There's a lot of conversation about the merit and worth of a college degree versus certificate, shrinking the four-year degree down to three years — a lot of dynamics in higher education that we're involved with."

Hugging Face on Thursday announced "Microduck," a small, armless robot capable of waddling adorably and picking up small objects with an articulated beak that doubles as a gripper.

Why it matters: The move is an effort to put a friendly, approachable face on a robotics field dominated by attack dogs and humanoids.

WASHINGTON — The SELF DRIVE Act could accelerate the expansion of driverless cars by providing a needed national regulatory framework, Rep. Erin Houchin (R-Ind.) said at an Axios Live event.

Why it matters: Autonomous vehicles could be a key part of the future of transportation, but the U.S. can't fully realize their potential — or compete globally — without consistent safety and design standards across state lines.

Axios' Nathan Bomey spoke with Houchin, Indianapolis Motor Speedway and IndyCar president Doug Boles, and Consumer Technology Association president and CEO Kinsey Fabrizio. The Aug. 22 event was sponsored by Honda.

State of play: U.S. Transportation Secretary Scott Duffy said earlier this year that crafting an autonomous vehicle policy is a national security, economic and safety issue.

• The public and private sector are lining up to support emerging technologies.

What they're saying: "The roadway doesn't stop at the state line," said Houchin, who co-sponsored the bill.

• This "requires a federal framework because of interstate commerce issues," she added.
• The patchwork of state policies is "challenging. It's costly. It's confusing," Fabrizio said.
• "Companies need to know what [the rules] are, so that they can develop their products and their services around them," Fabrizio added.

Zoom in: The SELF DRIVE Act prioritizes safety standards, sets national thresholds for testing and deploying autonomous vehicles and addresses cybersecurity concerns. However, it leaves licensing and registration to the states.

• If the bill doesn't pass by December, "we're going to bring it right back up again in the 120th Congress," Houchin said.

Meanwhile, Boles sees great potential for emerging technologies in car racing.

• "I see those becoming tools that help inform drivers of what's going on, help them make smarter decisions," he said.

Content from the sponsor's segment:

In a View From the Top conversation, Honda executive vice president Noriya Kaihara highlighted the company's decades of investment in the U.S.

• "We build the product here in America because our policy is that [we] manufacture where there is the demand. So that means: build the products where the customers are … and now we have 12 plants in America."

Go deeper: Watch the full conversations.

It's prime time to plant grass seed for patching bare spots or overseeding lawns in most U.S. regions.

Why it matters: Plant too late and grass might not establish before winter; too early and young grass could still be exposed to stressful summer heat.

Apple on Wednesday sent invitations for a Sept. 9 event where the company is expected to unveil its first foldable iPhone and other new products.

Why it matters: The launch would push Apple into a smartphone category it has resisted, as rivals have experimented with folding screens — and give incoming CEO John Ternus an immediate opportunity to put his stamp on the company's most important product.

The Trump administration has struck data-sharing deals with major technology firms to help track how AI is affecting jobs and hiring, acting Labor Secretary Keith Sonderling told Axios.

Why it matters: AI could reshape the labor market faster than traditional government statistics can capture it. That could make it difficult for economic policymakers to see major shifts in jobs and hiring in real time.