On Jan. 23, Del Val’s Leadership Summit hosted Department of Labor representatives Lesley Hirsch and Dr. Nicol Nicola to speak at the group’s first meeting of 2024.

Hirsch spoke about how she got into her research career. She started off as a theater director before going back to graduate school and getting a career in research.

Both speakers spoke about artificial intelligence and how jobs will not be eradicated by AI. They stressed that there are many things AI cannot do, such as caring for another human being, and because of this, companies have actually begun reverting back to human workers.

One of the jobs of the people at the department of labor is taking data and interpreting it. From this a machine can match you to occupation.

At the end of the meeting, Hirsch showed students the Career Center on the Department of Labor website, which she focused on three parts: Training Explorer, Career Navigator, and Career Pathways.

The Training Explorer is where you can look up what training you want and filter your response to find training programs for you.

The Career Navigator is where you can upload information about your past jobs and degrees to get job recommendations. This is based off of anyone in New Jersey. It will also show you job ads based on your results.

Career Pathways allows you to look at the most in-demand careers and to help you choose a job based on data. It will also show you the amount of money you could make, and if there are any openings.

Check out the website to learn more about how to plan your future.