What Employers Actually Want: AI Skills + People Skills
24 January 2026

What Employers Actually Want: AI Skills + People Skills

AGI - Advance, Grow, Innovate with AI

About

School's Out Saturdays on the AGI Podcast - Because our job is to prepare students for their future not our past. (Episode 4)

Episode Summary:Lena Morris brings boots-on-the-ground reality from corporate training floors: employers ARE hiring for AI skills, and schools that ignore this are setting students up to fail. We dig into why K-12 needs AI literacy now, how EQ separates humans from machines, and what "micro-credentialing" actually means for your students' job prospects.

About My Guest Jealeania "Lena" Morris is Founder & CEO of Authentic Encounters LLC | Leadership and culture coach | Professional development specialist focused on interpersonal connection and workplace transformation. Located in Central Indiana. Lena works with organizations from rural electric co-ops to healthcare systems, helping them integrate AI tools while maintaining authentic human skills.

Guest Links Lena on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jealeaniadmorrisAuthentic Encounters: https://authenticencountersllc.com/

Follow The Show Instagram: @AGISchoolsoutFacebook + LinkedIn: @AGIPodcastX: @NoCodeCAIOFull Episodes: https://linktr.ee/AGIPodcast

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LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-grant-padgett/X: https://x.com/NoCodeCAIO📧 jason@phoenixsolutionsgroup.org

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Phoenix Solutions GroupAffordable, pragmatic education, training, and consulting in AI literacy, policy, and projects.🌐 https://www.phoenixsolutionsgroup.org/Join the AI Launchpad AI training for educators, SMBs, and professionals. 🚀 https://bit.ly/3NnuBc5

Key Timestamps: 01:27 - Micro-credentialing and what employers actually ask for in hiring06:28 - Carmel mayor claims only STEM students need AI skills (Jason pushes back hard)08:15 - Lena's counter: innovative employers ARE hiring for AI proficiency right now27:38 - Why IT people now need leadership skills and personality, not just technical chops31:40 - Small businesses drowning in admin work that AI could handle tomorrow46:42 - EQ as the differentiator: what separates humans from machines in AI-saturated workplaces55:37 - Lena's new podcast launch: Authentic Encounters, Lena Speaks (February 2025)

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