The Commerce Department reported a decline in private construction spending in January, but also an increase in public spending. That led to overall construction spending for the month being the same as December and higher than a year ago, although economists had forecast a 0.3% increase.

Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen will invest $125 million in his nonprofit, the Allen Institute for Artificial Intelligence, over a three-year period to fund Project Alexandria, an initiative tasked with teaching machines "common sense." "To make real progress in AI, we have to overcome the big challenges in the area of common sense," Allen said.

The industrial internet of things is important, but only smart manufacturing is broad enough to turn into the fourth industrial revolution, writes Julie Fraser of Iyno Advisors. "Smart manufacturing incorporates not only the plant floor or smart connected factory, but also the smart connected supply chain and the digital thread through the product lifecycle," she writes.

Arrow Electronics is collaborating with Microsoft on a new design bundle integrating a SensiEDGE sensor node. The internet of things project will use the Arrow Connect mobile app and deliver environmental data to a dedicated website.

Google has launched a website where anyone can learn more about artificial intelligence and machine learning. Some of the educational options include key concepts, problem-solving challenges and other coding skills.

A seminar for freshmen at Mountwest Community & Technical College in West Virginia includes an assessment that seeks to match students with potential career paths. School officials also prepare occupational exploration outlines for students that show them the training and certifications required for certain careers.

A bill to provide free two-year tuition to community college or technical college through a state and federal partnership has been introduced to Congress by US Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis. America's College Promise Act could help an estimated 9 million students if all states participated, Baldwin said.

The Education Department has released revisions to the Office for Civil Rights Case Processing Manual, which will affect how the department investigates discrimination in schools. Department officials say the changes seek to boost efficiency, but some civil rights advocates have expressed concern.

Instead of focusing on degrees or certificates, job seekers should be able to clearly describe how the skills they possess can help employers, writes business futurist and author Alexandra Levit. Candidates also should be ready to talk about how they've solved problems in the past and give specific examples, she advises in this commentary.

Bad-mouthing your previous employer at a job interview will diminish your chances of a callback, says HR analyst Laura Handrick. "If a candidate is overly negative about a current or past employer, it plants seeds of doubt in a hiring manager's mind," says Jordan Rayboy, CEO of Rayboy Insider Search.