On December 1, 2025, the CSUF Talk 2025 was successfully held at Hall D201, organized by the Faculty of Business Administration. The event attracted strong interest from students eager to understand AI applications – the future of the labor market, and the essential skills required in the digital age.
Guest Speakers: Prof. Dr. Sri Sundaram, Dean of the College of Business and Economics (CSUF), and Mr. Tam Nguyen, Chair of the Board of Governors, Philanthropic Foundation (CSUF) delivered in-depth, visual, and highly practical insights into AI and how it is shaping the future workforce.
Key Highlights:
Impact of AI on industries: Sectors such as Healthcare, Retail, Finance, and Manufacturing are undergoing significant transformation and increasingly require greater adaptability from the workforce.
Current labor market reality: U.S. data shows substantial differences in unemployment rates among recent graduates across majors, with some fields reaching 7.5% compared to the overall average of 3.6%. This highlights the gap between academic training and actual industry demands.
Future-ready Skills Architecture: Prof. Sundaram introduced a three-tier skills framework for the future workforce:
Durable Skills: critical thinking, communication, leadership, and adaptability.
AI & Data Fluency: the ability to understand and work with data, AI, and basic automation.
Domain Applications: applying AI within specific professional fields.Six essential skill groups for business transformation:
Data Literacy & Analytics
AI & Machine Learning Fundamentals
Critical Thinking & Problem-Solving
Adaptability & Continuous Learning
Creativity & Innovation
Collaboration & Communication
Practical insights: Mr. Tam Nguyen shared real-world examples of AI applications and his personal experiences at OCTA, MemorialCare Hospitals, and several other organizations, demonstrating how AI is helping to optimize operations, enhance efficiency, and improve service quality.
With a clear, concise, and practice-oriented presentation grounded on real cases from U.S. organizations, the session provided students with a systematic understanding of:
The role of AI in the future labor market
The core skills needed to become “future-ready”
The existing skills gap and challenges faced by young workers
The opportunities and challenges students may encounter in an AI-driven era
The CSUF Talk 2025 gave valuable insights, broadening students’ perspectives on the relationship between artificial intelligence, personal skills, and the labor market. In doing so, it also emphasized the importance of digital readiness for individuals to prepare for their future careers.