经济学人:Bartleby专栏:公司必须克服技能短缺(1)

 　　American companies spent $91bn on staff training last year, almost a third as much again as they did in 2016. 去年美国公司员工培训支出为910亿美元，比2016年多了近三分之二。

　　That equated¹ to more than $1,000 for every staff member being taught, according to a survey by Training magazine. 《培训》杂志调查表明，那相当于培训一位员工的支出为一千多美元。

　　This shift is highly encouraging. In broad terms, provision of on-the-job training has been shrinking— 这样的变化非常鼓舞人心。从广义上来讲，在职培训规定一直在缩水，

　　in both America and Britain it has fallen by roughly half in the past two decades. Companies are often loth to provide it. 在美国和英国，过去20年里，培训规定粗略估计缩减了一半。公司通常不愿意提供在职培训。

　　A 2009 study from the OECD, a club of mostly rich countries, worried that 经合组织2009年的研究表明，富裕国家会社担心

　　"industry, left to its own devices, may not have incentives² to provide sufficient training." “行业，如果顺其发展的话，或许会缺乏提供充足培训的动因。”

　　That is because workers may take advantage of their education to transfer their skills to a rival. 这是因为员工们可能会利用自己的教育背景带着他们的技能投靠对手。

　　Training is even more important in a world of rapid technological³ change, 在一个科技日新月异的世界中，培训甚至会更加重要，

　　where low-skilled tasks are increasingly being automated⁴ and artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming many services jobs. 在这样的世界中，低技能工作正在被自动化取代，人工智能（AI）正在改变许多服务型工作。

　　To have a chance of a long, high-paying career, workers need retraining. 为了有获得长期发展的高薪职业的机会，员工们需要培训。

　　At IBM, a computer firm, Diane Gherson, head of human resources, says that employee skills stay relevant for only three years. 在IBM电脑公司，人力资源主管黛安·盖尔松表示员工技能相关性只能保持三年。

　　So training is "the lifeblood of any tech company". 因此，培训是“任何一家科技公司的生命线”。

　　IBM created an "AI academy" in which employees take courses from a curriculum, provided by Coursera, IBM建立了“AI学院”，员工们可以在Coursera平台上上课学习。

　　an online-learning platform founded by Andrew Ng, an AI pioneer, and Daphne Koller, a computer scientist, both of Stanford University. Coursera是一个在线学习平台，由AI开创者Andrew Ng以及电脑科学家Daphne Koller创办，两人均来自斯坦福大学。

　　Roll up for such clickbait as: "Artificial intelligence process re-engineering case study", 课程比如：《人工智能程序再设计案例研究》

　　and "Improving deep neural⁵ networks: Hyperparameter tuning⁶, Regularisation and Optimisation". 以及《改善深度神经网络：超参数调优、正则化以及最优化》。

　　The courses are usually taught online and the staff often study in their own time. 这些课程通常是在线教授，员工们可以利用自己的时间学习。

　　Those who complete a course can qualify for a digital "badge" which bolsters⁷ their career profile on platforms such as LinkedIn. 那些完成一项课程的人有资格获得一枚数字“勋章”，以提升他们在一些平台，如领英，上的职业形象。

　　In 2016-18 more than 200,000 IBM staffers earned 650,000 badges and the average employee undertook 60 hours of training a year. 在2016年至18年，二十多万IBM员工共获得65万枚勋章，普通员工一年的培训时间为60小时。

　　IBM also has a programme that aims to retain workers who might be lured⁸ elsewhere. IBM还有一个项目，该项目目的在于留住那些被挖墙脚的员工。

　　In the past five years, IBM reckons, the proportion of its employees who have advanced digital skills has risen from 30% to 80%. 据IBM估计，在过去五年中，拥有高级数字技能的员工比例从30%增至80%。

　　(Digital skills include knowledge of AI, analytics, cloud computing⁹, the Internet of Things and cyber-security.) （数字技能包括AI、统计学、云计算、物联网以及网络安全的知识。）

1 equated   

adj.换算的v.认为某事物（与另一事物）相等或相仿( equate的过去式和过去分词 )；相当于；等于；把（一事物） 和（另一事物）等同看待

参考例句：

• Production costs for the movie equated to around 30% of income. 这部电影的制作成本相当于收益的30%。
• Politics cannot be equated with art. 政治不能同艺术等同起来。

2 incentives   

激励某人做某事的事物( incentive的名词复数 )； 刺激； 诱因； 动机

参考例句：

• tax incentives to encourage savings 鼓励储蓄的税收措施
• Furthermore, subsidies provide incentives only for investments in equipment. 更有甚者，提供津贴仅是为鼓励增添设备的投资。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法

3 technological   

adj.技术的；工艺的

参考例句：

• A successful company must keep up with the pace of technological change.一家成功的公司必须得跟上技术变革的步伐。
• Today,the pace of life is increasing with technological advancements.当今， 随着科技进步，生活节奏不断增快。

4 automated   

a.自动化的

参考例句：

• The entire manufacturing process has been automated. 整个生产过程已自动化。
• Automated Highway System (AHS) is recently regarded as one subsystem of Intelligent Transport System (ITS). 近年来自动公路系统(Automated Highway System,AHS)，作为智能运输系统的子系统之一越来越受到重视。

5 neural   

adj.神经的，神经系统的

参考例句：

• The neural network can preferably solve the non- linear problem.利用神经网络建模可以较好地解决非线性问题。
• The information transmission in neural system depends on neurotransmitters.信息传递的神经途径有赖于神经递质。

6 tuning   

n.调谐，调整，调音v.调音( tune的现在分词 )；调整；（给收音机、电视等）调谐；使协调

参考例句：

• They are tuning up a plane on the flight line. 他们正在机场的飞机跑道上调试一架飞机。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The orchestra are tuning up. 管弦乐队在定弦。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

7 bolsters   

n.长枕( bolster的名词复数 )；垫子；衬垫；支持物v.支持( bolster的第三人称单数 )；支撑；给予必要的支持；援助

参考例句：

• He used a couple of bolsters to elevate his head. 他用两个垫枕垫头。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The double-row piles with both inclined and horizontal bolsters also analyzed in consideration of staged excavation. 本文亦分析了考虑开挖过程的安置斜撑与带支撑的双排桩支护结构。 来自互联网

8 lured   

吸引，引诱（lure的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• The child was lured into a car but managed to escape. 那小孩被诱骗上了车，但又设法逃掉了。
• Lured by the lust of gold,the pioneers pushed onward. 开拓者在黄金的诱惑下，继续奋力向前。

9 computing   

n.计算

参考例句：

• to work in computing 从事信息处理
• Back in the dark ages of computing, in about 1980, they started a software company. 早在计算机尚未普及的时代（约1980年），他们就创办了软件公司。