RETHINKING RE-SKILLING

The workplace undergoes substantial restructuring in response to the disruptive impacts of the pandemic and the ongoing digital transformation. According to the World Economic Forum′s Future of Jobs , 85 million jobs may be displaced by 2025 while?97 million may emerge that are more adapted to the new division of labour between humans, machines, and algorithms.?Greater adoption of technology and the new ways of working, such as remote or hybrid work, will mean in-demand skills across jobs modify over the next five years and more than half of all employees would need re-skilling. Alone today, over 75% of global workers ? claim not to be equipped for the Future of Work.

Thus, we′ve entered "the perfect storm for skills" . Skills generally have a half-life of about five years ?with digital skills becoming even more rapidly obsolete. For instance, nearly 20% of workers ? in Finland, Germany, Hungary and the Netherlands?saw their skills become?obsolete over the previous two years;?digital and Information and communication technology skills as being particularly vulnerable.

• Top skills for 2025

Employers believe analytical thinking, complex problem-solving ability, active learning, creativity, innovation, leadership, communication, and social influence will continue to grow in prominence in the next five years ?. However, the affinity towards technology demonstrated especially in proficiency in collaboration technologies is viewed as the most crucial workplace skill for the next five years.

Similarly, Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development presses for students to develop skills in self-management such as active learning but also resilience, stress tolerance and flexibility to be competent and able to navigate in the increasingly complex world. Furthermore, the concept of competency implies more than just the acquisition of knowledge and skills; it involves?the actual mobilisation of knowledge, skills, attitudes, and values.

• ?Identify the skills gap

Based on the recent trends both the individuals and the companies will greatly benefit by assessing the current skill set. Who is in a pressing need of re-skilling? Which tools and what time horizons do you offer to your employees and to yourself? Most employers, yes, a scary 94% ?, expect employees to pick up new skills on the job and that within less than six months. And we don′t talk about a one-off as even this model claiming a gap of 3-6 months of re-skilling on the job claims faulty logic. "Human Capital Model ?" considering 90+ life expectancy with 50-60 years of work and continuous learning is suggested instead. That′s quite some pressure!

• Design a sensible learning environment

Despite the expectations for fast and non-stop re-skilling, some research, such as Skills of Tomorrow Report 2021?by Growth Tribe focusing on the Data and Marketing Skills – two of the fastest growing and in-demand professions of the future, shows that only 1 in 10 companies , have a true learning culture. Moreover, most CEOs declare not knowing what the impact of learning efforts are. How much emphasis (and budget) do you place on lifetime learning? Is providing access to learning a natural part of your company culture?

• ?Learning to learn

The average employee spends less than 25 minutes a week for deliberate learning. The employee engagement in the learning courses is lagging and only about?40 % of employees participate in employer-supported reskilling and upskilling programs. Is it the familiar fear of unknown or procrastination that causes many to withhold? Or do we have to adjust the way we learn for work?

• Create your path to continuous learning ?

While some reports suggest generational learning techniques should be considered, I recommend looking for similarities across all generations. What′s the most effective way of learning? Each child knows the answer – learning through play. Thus, applying game mechanics in non-game environments – so called gamification, provides a great way to accelerate both your personal learning and that across your organisation. To exemplify, Trailhead offers on-demand guided learning paths. The points collected for completed courses allow the learners to earn expertise badges as well as resume-worthy credentials. Based on the level of expertise the learners become part of specific learning communities. Sharing and networking culture drive a healthy competition, which could be well applied among teams in organisations too.

Similarly, in Allianz Technology all employees gain access to digital learning tools early on their onboarding journey. In cooperation with the supervisor, each employee has the possibility to create a tailored-made learning path adjusted to the content and time demands of the job position.

Conventionally, many in Tech industry focus on re-skilling in technical features. Yet, people buy emotions rather than technology, thus I believe storytelling to be the most underdeveloped skill in IT teams. My latest discovery in this field are the techniques of communication by the business storyteller David JP Phillips .

As business leaders, we must actively drive the conversation about the need of re-skilling and upskilling, team up with the major Tech vendors as well as non-profit organisations and provide equal access to everyone across all levels of society.

The existing skills gap isn′t a concern only, it presents opportunities too. Whether you′re looking to fully switch your job family and take advantage of emerging roles in areas such as Cloud Computing or you aim to upskill within your current professional trajectory, I encourage you to take the initiative in your hands and actively participate in learning opportunities both in and out of your organisation. Have fun learning!

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