Telus has been named the only Canadian company featured in a new international report examining how employers are equipping workers with artificial intelligence (AI) skills to improve productivity and business growth.
The report, Boosting Productivity and Business Growth – the Role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) Skills, was released by Business at OECD, an organization representing national business federations in policy discussions at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). It includes case studies from around the world and identifies Telus as a model for advancing AI literacy among employees
The report cites Telus’ internal data and AI literacy program as a key driver of value across several areas of the business, including health, agriculture, and customer service. The company supports 30,000 employees with learning content developed in-house and with partners, aiming to build confidence and competence in using generative AI tools.
“Telus has long recognized the value of advancing the data and AI skills of our team members to enable safe innovation with data in a way that benefits our customers, communities and business,” said Pam Snively, chief data and trust officer at Telus.
The report features the company’s ISO-certified GenAI customer support tool and calls attention to its broader approach to responsible AI use, emphasizing data governance and privacy.
Business at OECD said the integration of AI skills into the workforce is essential to driving innovation in a rapidly evolving digital environment.
“We appreciate Telus’ commitment to AI literacy and responsible implementation as a best practice,” said Nicole Primmer, deputy executive director of policy and strategic engagement at Business at OECD. “Their approach importantly highlights how business is making efforts to empower their workforce to harness AI’s potential responsibly and effectively.”
The report urges both public and private organizations to adopt continuous learning strategies, noting that AI proficiency will become a core competency for maintaining competitiveness across all sectors.
