Artificial intelligence is rapidly changing software development, and it’s not just about new tools. Developers’ work, the skills they need and the ways they learn are changing too. At Gofore, the AI-Driven Developer learning path is one way to develop skills in a field where the work itself is constantly evolving.
Technical Project Manager and People Lead Teemu Vähä-Ruka is one of the people behind Gofore’s AI-Driven Developer learning path. It was created to help software developers build their AI skills in a way that fits into the everyday work of a consultant. Learning by doing was a priority from the start, so that developing new skills wouldn’t be limited to theory.
When there’s always something new, you can’t learn everything
The challenge in the age of AI isn’t a lack of information, but the sheer amount of it. New tools, ways of working and ideas are constantly emerging. For many professionals, the hardest question isn’t where to find information, but what they actually need to learn.
This was also an important consideration when developing the learning path. The aim wasn’t to teach developers everything there is to know about AI, but to help them focus on what matters most in their own work.
– We wanted to cut through the enormous amount of information and identify what’s really relevant to our experts, Vähä-Ruka explains.
When Gofore set out to strengthen its developers’ AI skills, existing training programmes were also explored. However, none met Gofore’s needs closely enough, so the learning content was developed by Gofore’s own experts, based on the needs of everyday work. This also means that the skills gained directly benefit customers.
Learning together
One of the most interesting developments around AI-Driven Developer happened outside the actual learning content.
A Slack channel was set up so that participants could ask questions and get support from the people who created the learning path. Before long, participants began sharing their own experiences and knowledge, actively answering each other’s questions.
“Quite often, none of us who created the learning path even gets the chance to answer first, because people are already helping each other and solving challenges together.”
According to Teemu, the Slack channel has become a place for peer support and exchanging ideas, while also strengthening the sense of community within the software development service area.
Learning doesn’t just flow from those who created the learning path to its participants. Experts are building their skills together.
In a field that changes so quickly, no one has time to explore everything on their own, nor do they need to. Often, someone else has already faced the same challenge or found a solution that works. That’s why having a community where people can share experiences and discoveries as they happen is so valuable.
Skills only make a difference when they’re put into practice
The real value of learning new skills becomes clear when people start applying them in their work. In Teemu’s discussions with his team members, almost everyone has said they’ve been able to use what they’ve learnt through the AI-Driven Developer learning path.
Customer environments vary, and AI tools can’t be used in the same way everywhere. The learning path has therefore helped developers not only gain skills in AI-assisted development, but also understand how to use these tools safely in different environments.
This includes understanding what information can be shared with the tools, what level of isolation is needed, and how tool settings and ways of working should be adapted to meet customers’ information security requirements.
The learning has also become part of everyday work, and in some cases, the expertise has been shared directly with customers. For example, Gofore experts have been able to demonstrate safe ways of working with AI tools to customers who had previously been cautious about using them.
Learning alongside everyday work also requires opportunities to experiment. As well as helping people focus on the most relevant information, it’s important to give them access to the tools they need to develop their skills.
– People need access to the tools so they can get familiar with them and start building their skills, Vähä-Ruka emphasises.
People Leads help employees find time for learning and explore with them how to apply their new skills in customer work. All Gofore software developers complete the AI-Driven Developer learning path and receive a certificate.
It’s not just about the skills needed in a current project, but about developing expertise that will continue to be valuable as the work changes.
“It’s a great time to be working in this field”
For Teemu, one of the most rewarding parts has been seeing people get excited, succeed and recognise their own development.
The changes are exciting for Teemu himself, too. He has long been interested in new technologies, and he describes the past few years as particularly inspiring.
– I’ve said it many times: it’s such a great time to be working in this field. These have definitely been the most exciting years at work in quite some time.
That enthusiasm doesn’t mean new tools should be adopted without question. There are still important questions around security, responsibility and the skills developers themselves need to have.
Experts have raised concerns, for example, about what information can be shared with AI models and which environments are suitable for using these tools. Teemu sees this careful consideration as a good thing.
Even as AI tools become capable of doing more, their output still needs to be checked before it’s used. The importance of human expertise doesn’t disappear just because some tasks are handled by tools. Developers still need to understand what they’re doing, monitor how the tools work and be able to evaluate the results.
Teemu’s advice to developers thinking about how to develop their skills as their work changes is simple.
“Be open to these tools. They’ll help you in your work, but don’t outsource your expertise to them.”
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Grow with AI
AI-Driven Developer is an 11-week learning path designed for Gofore’s software developers, with a strong focus on developing AI skills through learning by doing. Around 70% of the learning is based on practical activities, with the remaining 30% focused on theory. The content has been created by Gofore’s own experts, and participants receive a certificate upon completion.
This article is part of Gofore’s Grow with AI theme, where we explore how artificial intelligence is changing expert work and share Gofore employees’ experiences of how their work is evolving and how they are learning new skills.
Read also Joonas Korpela’s blog: What does expertise mean in the age of AI?
