Undoubtedly, 2023 was the year of AI - AI went mainstream, the number of AI companies exploded, as did funding for and investments in AI companies.

It was also the year that the number of machine learning engineer jobs went through the roof compared to previous years.

It’s not just interest in ML jobs that has grown, but the actual number itself has exploded.

LinkedIn listed AI Engineer as one of the Top 10 Fastest Growing Roles for 2024 in a recent article this month.

Georgetown's Center for Security and Emerging Technology just released a data analysis that AI developer/engineer jobs increased by 25.8% from 2018 to 2022, surpassing 5 million jobs.

The growth of the number of jobs has made it very difficult to hire - and it’s not just that technologies such as OpenAI, Mistral AI, Bard and other models with APIs are so new.

Companies want Senior Machine Learning engineers, not mid-level, junior, or entry-level.

So why is it so hard to hire a Senior Machine Learning Engineer?

Let’s take a quick look to find out.

What a year 2023 was and what does 2024 hold?! 2023 was decisively the year that killed a LOT of bootcamps, apprenticeships, and competitors - but for Qwasar, we had a pretty great year. As we look at the next 12 months, we wanted to take a look back at 2023 and share some company progress.

Here at Qwasar, we just launched a Master’s of Science in Computer Science program in partnership with Woolf. Our programs have always trained top-level, quality talent, as evidenced by our consistently better outcomes compared to other non-degree programs, so in many ways this was a natural progression for us.

We see our certificate programs, Master’s program, and apprenticeship programs as keys to unlocking new opportunities for learners and significant opportunities for companies to recruit quality talent trained for the modern software industry.

Advanced Engineering Apprenticeships are apprenticeship programs in subject areas that require advanced technical training as opposed to other tech apprenticeships that focus on subject areas that are less technically difficult.

There is a significant difference in the level of technical skill between an “advanced” apprenticeship and a “normal” apprenticeship in industry today.

Examples of advanced engineering apprenticeships include:

• Embedded software engineering
• Backend software engineering (C/C++, Rust, Go, etc.)
• DevOps engineering
• AI/machine learning, including CUDA and similar performance engineering

Upwork has partnered with Qwasar Silicon Valley to help fuel the diversity of technical talent in digital careers. Upwork, the world’s work marketplace, has long enabled companies and talent to work together in new ways that unlock their potential. Qwasar trains learners for digital careers and partners with colleges across North America to offer affordable, accessible, and skills-based programs that train learners to the tech industry’s standards.

Recently, much to my horror, I saw how many applicants there were for a software engineering internship position at LinkedIn. Here's a screenshot:

Qwasar programs are tough and they train you to Silicon Valley standards, but it's not just the technical skill level that's challenging. Our programs will test you, push you outside your comfort zone, and involve your whole being. Sitting in a classroom for a lecture is far more passive and less involved than our programs, and thus easier. Our focus is on learning designed for the 21st-century, consider us a new galaxy in the learning universe.

Amal Hassan is the impressive and talented CEO at Outsource Global, an outsourcing company she founded in Nigeria specialising in customer service, legal service, back office support, IT support services, AI services, etc. Over the last four years, the company has grown to over 900 employees, serving clients in US, UK/ EU, Japan, and Africa.

Many of us grew up with the infamous little bricks from LEGO, bricks that we played with and built all sorts of imaginary worlds and kingdoms. While we may not have realized it at a young age, these bricks served as instruments for learning through play.