CALIFORNIA’S AI WORKFORCE CRISIS
THE ESSENTIAL INFRASTRUCTURE FOR A NEW ERA OF WORK.
For 15 years, CTI has operated as California’s leading computing talent development lab through its scalable work-based learning experiences for students from all three higher education segments. We are now adapting this work to respond to the crisis created by the rapid advancements in Artificial Intelligence to cultivate new human talent.
CALIFORNIA’S PERFECT STORM:
WHY TRADITIONAL EDUCATION IS NOT ENOUGH
Job Displacement
4.5 million California workers facing job loss due to AI automation
(UCLA, January 2025)
College Participation
Falling below 50% for some demographics resulting in lower earning potential
(CGR, CDE 2023)
Underemployment Crisis
Only half of college graduates
secure employment
(Strada’s “Talent Disrupted,” 2024)
These Aren’t Separate Problems—They’re a Feedback Loop. They feed off each other.
The Solution → CTI | California’s AI Learning Institute
We build durable human capabilities at industry speed. Our engine is the Symbiotic Thinking Dojo.
The Evidence → CTI’s 15 Years of Proven Results
Work-Based Learning Placements
%
from Community Colleges
%
First-generation students
PLACEMENTS IN INDUSTRY, RESEARCH & OPEN SOURCES
CTI serves students directly as the lab where constant industry dialogue reveals what works, ensuring our learning engineering is grounded in real student outcomes.
Pierre Harbin
San Fransisco State University → GitHub
“I got a SWE intern offer from GitHub, thanks to the CTI team for giving me the tools to land this internship. Participating in a CTI micro-internship and internship search sessions helped me a lot.“
Leila Leibert
College of Marin → Princeton
“I truly believe that gaining research experience is a wonderful way to gain exposure to graduate school and gain real life skills, because research is the foundation for most jobs in the 21st century.”
DEPLOYING THE AI LEARNING INFRASTRUCTURE
LAUNCH: The Foundation
Focus: Essential learning skills and computing fundamentals for early-career students
ACCELERATE: The Adaptability Engine
Problem-solving mastery, open-source contributions, for career-ready professionals
The Imperative → Building California’s AI-Ready Workforce
California needs adaptive infrastructure like CTI operating alongside traditional institutions—human-centered innovation capacity to experiment rapidly while universities maintain necessary stability. We are asking partners to help us ensure opportunity for upward mobility remains a reality for all Californians:
Invest in the Foundation
Fund development and iteration of the Symbiotic Thinking Dojo—adapting our methodology for different learners and fields
Fund the Implementation
Resource partnerships with community colleges, universities, and workforce boards to deploy and build evidence for statewide expansion
Convene the Missing Conversation
Connect educators, technologists, and learning scientists around one question: how to cultivate durable talent in the age of AI at scale?
