The California Office of Data and Innovation (ODI) and the California Department of Human Resources (CalHR) are partnering to provide skills and knowledge training to prepare state staff to safely deploy generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) tools.
A new learning pathway, the Foundations of GenAI Certificate, is available now for current state employees looking to grow their career using GenAI skills. With GenAI’s wide-ranging potential for Californians and the state’s economy, Governor Gavin Newsom signed an executive order (EO N-12-23) to study the development, use and risks of artificial intelligence (AI) technology throughout the state and to develop a deliberate and responsible process for evaluation and deployment of AI within state government.
California’s goal of the GenAI workforce training is to upskill current state staff to meet the need for highly skilled, responsible GenAI professionals. GenAI is new technology, but the skills needed to use it are built on core critical thinking, risk assessment and decision-making frameworks. As part of their work on the executive order, the managers of CalHR’s CalLearns and ODI’s CalAcademy programs saw an opportunity to bring together existing training content in each program to prepare the workforce for GenAI.
Led by the California Government Operations Agency (GovOps), ODI, CalHR and the California Department of Technology (CDT) collaborated on this effort to deliver GenAI training to the state workforce.
ODI’s CalAcademy will offer one of the courses toward the Foundations of GenAI Certificate series at no cost to state employees.
“Using data-driven human-centered design practices in GenAI projects can improve service delivery for Californians and build on existing skill sets within the state workforce,” said Anne Crew-Renzo, Head of CalAcademy. “We are so excited to partner with CalHR in this new certificate.”
Using foundational core competencies and skills as the basis for career development is foundational to CalHR’s mission.
The purpose of this certificate is simple: to make sure state workers have access to foundational skills for the safe and responsible use of GenAI that can help them deliver better services for Californians.
CalHR Chief Learning Officer John Sanborn sees this certificate series as critical to developing a highly-skilled state workforce.
“Our plan to train the state workforce on GenAI revolves around offering development opportunities that highlight how existing core competencies are essential for understanding and applying GenAI to solve complex problems,” he said. “By diving into emerging skills and reviewing available courses through CalLearns and CalAcademy, we aim to build a strong foundation that empowers our workforce to thrive in the evolving landscape of GenAI.”
CalLearns will host 4 of the 5 courses toward the certificate.
Presley Strother, a Marketing and Outreach Analyst with the California Commission on Disability Access (CCDA), has completed all the courses for the Foundations of GenAI Certificate series, except the final course GenAI for Public Professionals. Strother plans to take the last class in August and looks forward to adding this certificate to her professional resume.
“ODI’s CalAcademy human-centered design course aligns with what I do in outreach through our website and designing external content based on stakeholder needs,” she said. “I’m ready for the GenAI course because AI is the future. This is an opportunity to grow my career with experience in an emerging technology.”
The CCDA is a public commission nested administratively within the Department of General Services (DGS) and works to bring the business and disability communities together by promoting disability access compliance. In discussing the training’s benefits, Strother emphasized the importance of critical thinking, subject matter expertise and the importance of not solely relying on AI-generated answers.
“Even with the completed staff work and training, you still have to work through the process on your own,” she said. “Generative AI is a tool that is only as effective as the human behind the technology. As a state employee, we can learn to balance the future of GenAI tools with a people-first approach to create a more accessible California for all.” All California state employees are eligible for the Foundations of GenAI Certificate series. All five courses in the series are now available for state employees. Information about how to register for the certificate can be found on CalLearns and CalAcademy.