There is a tug-of-war emerging at city halls across Canada: in the emerging world of AI, what jobs will be available in the future?

And the tuggees, so to speak, are the young people now questioning their future careers and how to get there.

These are fundamental questions for most young people.  Will a university degree in the fine arts, political science or English lit be a valuable resource for a job hunt?  In some cases, certainly; in others, perhaps not.

That is making students (and many nervous parents) question traditional career paths.  What will AI do to jobs in a year, in five years?  Will there still be recognizable jobs in their city hall, or will there be new municipal opportunities because of AI?  What path will lead to a good-paying, satisfying and challenging future for them?

There seems to be a growing interest in skilled trades.  There are thousands of jobs in the trades that are needed now, and even more in the immediate future.  As Canada continues to invest heavily in infrastructure and new housing, there is a great opportunity for those with a penchant for a skilled trade.

Other young people are interested in becoming entrepreneurs and starting their own business.  Career planners don't often push that, but Canada needs lots of bright young people to start and export great ideas. 

Science and medicine are highly appealing to some, and again Canada needs people in those fields.  Many of them.  Please.  Soon.  AI has enormous potential for good in these fields.

It is obvious that AI is already impacting many areas such as law, teaching, traditional office work, consumer relations, computers, and many others.  In fact, AI will eventually roil most jobs.  That is what is driving the uncertainty young people are feeling about their careers.

Back at city hall, HR specialists are wrestling with traditional jobs in traditional org charts and wondering what those will become.  They are developing strategies for the next wave of hiring, and what new and different skills they will be seeking while contemplating the impact AI is having. 

There is no doubt that working for a municipality is a great career.  It offers interesting opportunities, dealing with the public and improving your community.  It offers great benefits and a nice pension, something not to be sniffed at these days.  And there are always going to be demands that will require smart people with specialized skills in local government. 

That is when the blending of HR needs and AI impacts meet.  City halls have sometimes had difficulty attracting the brightest young talent, particularly if a provincial or the federal government comes calling.

Municipalities need to make their best case to attract the best talent available in this AI driven world.  Municipalities, after all, are still the most important order of government for most of the people, most of the time.