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Last week, we wrote about the growing urgency of upskilling and how artificial intelligence disruption is reshaping career planning.
 
 

Consider a mid-career marketing manager who has spent a decade refining brand strategy. They scroll LinkedIn and see generative AI tools building campaigns in seconds. So, in a panic, they sign up for two AI webinars that night and even think about a career switch – not because their job has changed yet, but because they’re worried it might.
 
 

That’s AI anxiety, or the low-grade, persistent fear that automation could erode hard-earned expertise or make roles obsolete overnight.
 
 

“There are certainly fears people are facing, wondering, ‘is AI going to replace my job?’” says Martina Valkovicova, the executive director of professional growth at the University of British Columbia’s Sauder School of Business.
 
 

The concern isn’t completely unfounded. A report from the World Economic Forum earlier this year estimated that AI, robotics and automation could displace 92 million jobs by 2030. However, it would also create 170 million new ones with many of the fastest-growing roles in technology, data and AI, and growth still expected in core economy jobs such as delivery drivers, care workers and educators.

 
 
 

Why training alone isn’t enough
 
 

A McKinsey & Co. report shows 92 per cent of companies plan to increase AI investments. Yet only 1 per cent of leaders describe their organization as “mature” in AI deployment, meaning it’s fully embedded and driving meaningful outcomes.
 
 

That disconnect mirrors what many professionals are feeling: urgency without clarity. “People are having a little bit more anxiety driven by uncertainty rather than the reality of where the companies are,” Ms. Valkovicova says.
 
 

McKinsey argues that upskilling for AI isn’t about a one-off course or learning new terminology. It’s a structured change journey built on three dimensions including AI literacy (shared fluency and reduced fear), AI adoption (embedding tools into workflows and incentives) and AI domain transformation (reimagining how work gets done in specific functions).
 
 

Training alone rarely shifts behaviour. Research shows most employees skip formal materials and instead learn through experimentation and peer conversations. Adoption rises when leaders model usage, align incentives and redesign workflows.
 
 

As the firm writes: “When reskilling is designed as a talent and change journey, not a standalone training program, it can unlock adoption and trust. Leaders who frame AI adoption as a journey of shared growth can turn what feels like a threat into a source of loyalty.”
 
 

That perspective echoes Ms. Valkovicova’s view on continued education and the life-long partnerships educational institutes look to build with the companies and individuals they serve.

 
 

“It does not end with a degree. It doesn’t even start with the degree,” she says.
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 

31 per cent
 
 

That’s how many Canadians worked from home in 2025 and aren’t aware they are eligible to claim home office expenses, according to a survey from HR software company Employment Hero.

 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 

Returning to school can be as much a psychological hurdle as an academic one, stirring up doubts, fear of failure or uncertainty about balancing coursework with the rest of your life.
 
 

Katie Swavely, assistant director for academic advising and student success at the University of California, Los Angeles – who returned to school herself after a decade away – says the key is to build a strong support network early and make full use of the advising and counselling resources available to students. She also encourages setting clear boundaries around your time and responsibilities and giving yourself grace when you need help, reminding returning learners that asking for support is a strategy for success, not a sign of weakness.
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 

“To do everything demanded of you is impossible. You will continue to be overly busy. You will never produce perfect work. So get on with life and accept the limitations,” writes Harvey Schachter in his reflection on Oliver Burkeman’s book Meditations for Mortals.
 
 

The book shares short essays that encourage readers to ponder and learn to embrace their limitations so that they can take action on what counts.

 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 

The Prosperity Project’s 2025 Annual Report on Gender Equity and Leadership shows that women in the pipeline to senior management dropped to 45 per cent in 2025 from 54 per cent in 2022, threatening long-term prog