PwC to certify 85,000-plus staff in critical thinking

The roughly six-month program will begin with an assessment of each participant’s thinking style and how it may affect their judgment. PwC will then offer classes developed with professors and experienced employees, followed by realistic simulations where staff can apply the lessons to their work. A personalized AI coach will help them transfer those skills to daily tasks, such as preparing for client meetings or difficult conversations.

The certification focuses on evaluating information, setting context, challenging assumptions, refining analysis and communicating recommendations. PwC says it has identified 15 AI skills and 15 human skills, including empathy and adaptability, that can distinguish employees. The program’s content will be tailored to workers’ seniority and is intended to complement existing instruction on responsible AI use and professional skepticism.

The rollout will give employees time to practise before development leaders assess their proficiency through the performance review process. PwC does not intend to use a traditional pass-or-fail exam, said Yolanda Seals-Coffield, the firm’s chief people and inclusion officer. The goal is for participants to complete certification by the end of PwC’s fiscal year in June 2027.

Seals-Coffield said first-year associates are already doing different work than they did two years ago. A recent PwC analysis of US job listings found that entry-level roles exposed to AI were much more likely than in 2019 to include skills traditionally associated with senior positions, such as judgment and leadership. The firm has also broadened its hiring of engineers and technologists across its businesses, including tax and assurance. PwC declined to provide year-over-year figures for entry-level hiring.