Redefining our world and the workforce.
- Angelina Angelov
- 3 may 2024
- 3 Min. de lectura
For Labor Day
Originally published in Acento Diario on May 3, 2024
The world is changing rapidly. In the Fourth Industrial Revolution, technology has become an integral part of our lives. In October 2019, the American Bar Association published a report on technology, stating that the average person uses approximately 36 cloud-based applications in their daily life.
As we become more efficient using ChatGPT, Siri, or Alexa, some jobs are becoming irrelevant, while others are being displaced by artificial intelligence, machine learning, robotics, and 3D printers, among other technologies.
On the other hand, extreme weather conditions, the pandemic, conflicts in Europe and the Middle East, inflation, and a global recession have impacted the labor market in recent years. At the same time, the pursuit of well-being has driven new work models.
We are witnessing a generational shift, with senior leaders retiring and Generation Z—digital natives—entering the workforce, more empowered and flexible than any previous generation. Individuals who lack opportunities to develop digital skills or who are slow to adapt are facing significant consequences.
Despite these challenges, the future of work offers new opportunities. According to a recent report by the New Climate Economy, the transition to net-zero emissions could generate up to $26 trillion in investment opportunities and job creation by 2030.
A reskilling strategy provides us with the opportunity to thrive. Digital transformation and remote work require organizations to position their workforce to adapt to new realities. With the current demand for digital skills significantly outpacing supply, organizations must develop comprehensive plans to adapt to the transforming digital world and streamline the process of adaptation and training.
The reskilling strategy involves several steps, including leadership and workforce development. Future jobs demand new skills, and innovation is addressing new work methods, both in developing new labor capabilities and in adapting and enhancing already acquired skills, focusing on the new digital environment.
The reskilling process includes selecting the skills on which the organization is focusing its strategy. This may involve creating new jobs or transforming current ones. Another aspect of reskilling is the learning format, which may include in-person or virtual workshops, individual assignments, expert coaching, short modular courses, certifications, diplomas, and exposure to new projects or any situation that promotes learning.
As an educator, I believe that collaboration between organizations and universities is crucial to developing meaningful and personalized support programs for proper education and training. Despite the ongoing digital transformation, which is expected to continue for several more years, the changing nature of the world requires talent to become lifelong learners.
In 2018, Kenneth R. Lutchen, Dean of the College of Engineering at Boston University, cited several examples of successful collaboration models between Microsoft, Google, and other Silicon Valley tech companies with Stanford University; Pfizer and other medical device companies with higher education institutions in the Boston metropolitan area. These cooperation models have expanded to form alliances with specialized government institutions.
Universities are constantly involved in the innovation process, and more robust collaborative styles that allow companies to remain connected would be valuable in promoting long-term relationships.
Some forward-thinking organizations are working to create opportunities in developing dual environments: a current structure with established work and processes, and a new virtual structure for global work in virtual teams. Therefore, another aspect of reskilling is to develop leadership skills, critical thinking, decision-making, and project management in hybrid environments.
To provide professional education for executives or organizational leadership, universities must be equipped to offer learning that meets their needs, whether online or in person, on campus or at the organization's facilities. Programs should be designed to address the immediate need for reskilling and upskilling, taking into account the busy nature of the professional profiles within this particular group of talent.
As we continue to focus on the future in this digital age, with increasingly demanding job requirements, these times of change require active collaboration between universities, individuals, and organizations to develop the so-called "sustainable formula": (1) organizations that are aware of their internal and external environments, capable of adapting, with a resilient and lifelong learning workforce; (2) universities engaged in continuous research and innovation in this ever-changing environment.
Angelina Angelov
The original article can be found at the following link:
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