Right About Now – Legendary Business Advice

Episode: 70% of Workers Feel Unprepared: How Instructure Is Rethinking Learning
Host: Ryan Alford (The Radcast Network)
Guest: Ryan Lufkin, VP of Global Strategy at Instructure
Date: March 24, 2026

Overview

In this engaging episode, host Ryan Alford sits down with Ryan Lufkin, VP of Global Strategy at Instructure (makers of Canvas LMS), to confront the pressing issue: why do 70% of U.S. workers feel unprepared for today’s workforce? Together, they dig into the disconnect between education and real-world skills, how AI and rapid shifts are changing the landscape, and what practical steps employers, educators, and individuals can take to rethink learning and job readiness for the AI age.

Lufkin brings sharp, no-nonsense insight on education’s lag, the need for “AI literacy,” the importance of soft skills, and why both schools and businesses must share responsibility for closing the gap between learning and working life.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Gap: 70% of Workers Feel Unprepared

• Stat Spotlight: 70% of US workers reportedly feel unprepared for today’s jobs (03:39).
• Root Causes Discussed:
  • Rapid tech change (post-COVID digital acceleration, AI breakthroughs)
  • Disconnect between what’s taught (esp. in K12/higher ed) and what’s actually needed on the job
  • Resistance/fear of technology among educators and institutions

2. AI: Friend or Foe?

• The Integration Dilemma:
  • Education often treats AI as a threat to academic integrity (e.g., cheating), while business sees it as an optimization tool (04:23).
  • There's a lack of universal understanding and training on AI, even as its presence grows.
• AI Literacy Is Urgent:
  • "Even the detractors, those educators scared of AI...honestly, take an AI literacy course—at least understand how these tools work." – Ryan Lufkin [04:03]
  • Instructure and Google are developing free AI courses for millions of educators.
• The 'Strawberry Conundrum': AI is Confidently Wrong:
  • Lufkin recounts how ChatGPT 3.2 insisted “strawberry” had two R’s, highlighting the “black box” problem of AI and necessity for human expertise (05:48).
  • "What's really scary is that next generation that takes that approach...Why do I need to be ChatGPT the expert?...Someone's got to check its work." – Ryan Lufkin [06:02]

3. Rethinking What We Teach

• Do Traditional Subjects Still Matter?:
  • The relevance of learning old subjects (calculus, cursive, etc.) is questioned. Are we clinging to tradition or teaching what matters most today? (05:26, 10:58)
• What Skills Are Irreplaceable?
  • Math: Not merely about the answer, but the reasoning process (09:30).
  • New Bloom’s Taxonomy: Differentiates skills easily automated by AI from those that are essentially human—problem-solving, creativity, communication, consensus-building.
• Innovation in Teaching Methods:
  • Example: Product design professor now uses AI to accelerate research, then focuses teaching on interpersonal skills like market outreach, live presentations, feedback (11:14).
  • "We're not necessarily teaching entirely new things, but we're doing it in more innovative ways that lean into those human skills..." – Ryan Lufkin [12:22]

4. Assessment, Mastery, and the Real Role of School

• Assessment Over Memorization:
  • "How do we actually know whether or not somebody has learned that skill? How do we make sure it sticks?" – Ryan Lufkin [12:43]
  • The challenge: crowded classes, underpaid teachers, pressure for major pedagogy shifts without support.
• AI Can't Be Avoided:
  • Opting out isn’t an option. "You're going to be involved with AI at some level and understanding it, embracing it, understanding the ethical aspects are really important." [13:28]

5. Skills vs Degrees: Rethinking Credentials

• Soft Skills Still Matter (A Lot):
  • Despite talk of “skills-based” hiring, degrees remain “the preferred currency”—not just for hard skills, but soft ones like teamwork, empathy, and communication (14:11).
  • Many companies that dropped degree requirements reintroduced them once they saw the value beyond technical knowledge.
  • "The degree…is still the best barometer of whether or not a person is prepared to enter the modern workforce." – Ryan Lufkin [14:21]
• Upskilling Means Lifelong Learning:
  • No more “school for 16 years, job for 30.” Workers change jobs on average every 3 years.
  • Certificates and micro-credentials are on the rise (15:02).
  • Lufkin shares his own ongoing education (E. Cornell, Oxford Said, Arizona State).

6. Real Work Experience & The Entry-Level Dilemma

• Loss of Traditional Entry-Level Jobs:
  • AI and automation are erasing many traditional “foot in the door” roles (e.g., writing ads, intern projects that AI can now do).
  • Schools and businesses need new ways to give students real-world experience and maintain entry-level pathways (18:27).

7. Instructure/Canvas: Building Learning Frameworks for All

• Canvas’s Role:
  • Provides open, secure architecture for integrating various AI tools across education (Google, Gemini, Copilot, Claude, etc.)
  • Expanding into corporate/government for lifelong learning support (20:31).
  • Accessibility and privacy are “non-negotiables” for educational tech.

8. The Overwhelm Factor: Navigating Rapid Change

• Tech Acceleration is Exponential:
  • Lufkin: "Moore's Law is out the window with AI. It’s so rapid, it's insane." [21:59]
  • Example: An open-source AI autonomously called a restaurant to make a reservation when the website was down (22:18).
  • It’s essential to "shrink your bubble" to what you can control, not to be overwhelmed.

9. Advice for Employers: Training, Onboarding & the Upskilling Mandate

• Own the Training:
  • "There's this old adage from employers: What if we train our employees and they leave? The counterpoint: What if you don't train them and they stay?" – Ryan Lufkin [24:06]
  • Both education and employers must take responsibility for AI literacy and ongoing upskilling, not passing the buck.
• Move Beyond Scarcity/Siloed Mindsets:
  • Next-generation leaders are more likely to enable flexibility and employee empowerment (25:05).
  • AI (done right) can break down old “boxes” and silos in organizations, letting people leverage broader skills (26:35).
  • “Now imagine educators...subject matter experts...suddenly have tools to create short videos, imagery, less dry writing...the potentials are just unlocked.” – Ryan Lufkin [26:58]

10. Rapid-Fire Close: Underrated & Overrated Skills, Needed Mindsets

• Most Overrated Skill: Coding (27:41)
• Most Underrated Skill: Clear communication (27:53)
• Mindset Shift Needed: Move away from rigid boxes and silos; enable employees to use AI and step outside assigned roles (27:58-28:25)
• Quote: “How many great ideas have never found the light of day because somebody was sitting in the wrong box?” – Ryan Lufkin [27:58]

11. Final Takeaways

• AI and rapid change present both risks and nearly boundless opportunities—but only if people, educators, and employers intentionally adapt.
• “We’re just at the point of building the trust, starting to use these tools in really creative ways...If we suspend our fear a little bit...there’s a lot of opportunity to uncover.” – Ryan Lufkin [28:52]

Notable Quotes

• "Why do I need to be chatgpt, the expert? Someone's got to check its work." – Ryan Lufkin [01:00, 06:02]
• “Even the detractors, those educators that are scared of AI...take an AI literacy course, at least understand how these tools work, then you understand what they’re capable of…” –Ryan Lufkin [04:03]
• "Math isn’t just getting the answer; it’s having the logic and reasoning behind how we get from here to there." – Ryan Lufkin [09:30]
• "The degree...is still the best barometer of whether or not a person is prepared to enter the modern workforce." – Ryan Lufkin [14:21]
• “What if we train our employees and they leave? What if you don’t train them and they stay?” – Ryan Lufkin [24:06]
• “Moore’s Law is out the window with AI. It’s so rapid, it’s insane.” – Ryan Lufkin [21:59]
• “How many great ideas have never found the light of day because somebody was sitting in the wrong box?” – Ryan Lufkin [27:58]

Important Timestamps (Segment Highlights)

• [01:00] – Human Oversight Must Check AI’s Work
• [04:03] – The Urgency of AI Literacy for Educators
• [05:48] – The “Strawberry Conundrum”: AI’s Confident Errors
• [10:58] – Should Schools Teach What They Did 50 Years Ago?
• [12:43] – The Problem is HOW, Not WHAT, We Teach (Assessment/Mastery)
• [14:21] – Skills vs Degrees: Why Degrees Still Matter
• [18:27] – AI Has Eaten Entry-Level Jobs; What’s Next for Students?
• [20:31] – Canvas as a Framework for Lifelong, Integrated Learning
• [21:59] – Keeping Up With AI: The Acceleration of Change
• [24:06] – Why Companies Need to Own Employee Upskilling
• [26:35] – AI Can Break Down Silos and Expand Roles
• [27:53] – Overrated/Underrated Skills & Organizational Mindset Shifts

Resources & Contact

• Instructure/Canvas: instructure.com
• Podcast: Educast 3000 (by Instructure, with Lufkin & Melissa Lobel)
• Ryan Lufkin: Connect on LinkedIn

Tone & Style

The conversation is punchy, candid, and insightful—true to “Right About Now’s” promise of “uncensored insights and hard-earned wisdom.” Both Ryans blend humor, personal anecdotes, and practical advice to cut through the noise about business, tech, and education.

Bottom Line:
This episode gives a brutally honest yet hopeful look at the future of workforce learning, AI’s risks and powers, and what must shift in both classrooms and boardrooms to help people thrive—not just survive—in work’s new era.