Future of Work, Employability and Digital Skills As the world of work changes, how will organisations, society and individuals adapt to ensure that the current and the next generation will be able to acquire the skills necessary for future jobs? Building on previous Future Agenda research that focussed on key policy areas primarily in the Asian market and, more recently, an updated outlook on the future of work and skills development developed in partnership with the University of Bristol, School of Management, we are very pleased to be starting a new phase of research. As well as an analysis of the future of work, this will specifically explore the shifting nature of employability and how and where digital skills will have impact. Over the next few months, expert views from across Europe will be shared in order to develop a richer understanding of key issues and how they vary across different jurisdictions. As with all Future Agenda projects, the aim is to challenge assumptions, identify emerging trends and build an informed assessment of the changes ahead and their implications for policy and action. If you would like to be involved and add your views into the mix, please get in touch.

1. Future of Work, Employability and Digital Skills
Insights From Multiple Expert Discussions Around The World
17 November 2020

2. FOCUS AND APPROACH
The Core Questions:
• As the world of work changes, how will organisations, society and individuals adapt to ensure
that the current and the next generation will be able to acquire the necessary skills?
• What is the shifting nature of employability and how and where digital skills will have impact?
Approach:
Over the next few months, expert views from across Europe will be gained and shared in order to
develop a richer understanding of key issues and how they vary across different jurisdictions.
• Attribution - We adopt the ‘Chatham House Rule’ so there is no attribution of views.
• Challenging – We will be challenging the global perspective and questioning assumptions.
• Future-focused – We will identify potential ways forward over the next decade.
• A platform – We will raise questions as well as answers – as stimulus for further dialogue.

3. This project builds on insights from previous research on the Future of Work

4. It is also informed by a point of view developed with the University of Bristol

5. OUR STARTING POINT: A SELECTION OF INSIGHTS FROM DISCUSSIONS TO DATE

6. Pace of Change
As technology innovation outpaces the ability of society to adapt, many are
unable to keep up. An accelerating workplace outpaces the workforce.

7. Equality and Diversity
To attract workers of all abilities, treating everyone in the same way is
an imperative – equal pay, equal opportunities and equal benefits.

8. Youth Unemployment
In many countries rising unemployment for the young is a major challenge.
In several graduates wait a decade before finding meaningful work.

9. Purpose at the Fore
Companies focus on profitably solving the problems of people and planet. The
role of business in society is aligned to purpose, ethics and trustworthiness.

10. The Sustainability Imperative
As the impact of climate change grows those organisations that do not
adopt high environmental standards fail to recruit next generation workers.

11. Projects Not Jobs
The future organisation is flexible, permeable, flat and virtual. Companies shift
to become bodies that coordinate projects that a freelance population delivers.

12. Porous Organisations
Increasing competition for talent forces organisations to be permeable: As well
as curating flexible workers, retaining corporate know-how is a key challenge.

13. Blurring of Employment
The nature of employment and unemployment and how they are viewed in
society changes. Being ‘in’ or ‘out of’ work is no longer a clear distinction.

14. Reinventing Roles
New technology has a fundamental impact on roles that are part of our social
fabric. Many core jobs remain but are reinvented as capabilities shift.

15. Agreed Accreditation
We build skills from multiple sources. With MOOCS and knowledge credits from
formal and informal platforms, a challenge is to agree common accreditation.

16. Reskilling and Upskilling
As some sectors and countries gain from technology, others lose out and fall
behind. A response to this is a growing call for more reskilling and upskilling.

17. Robots as Colleagues
Ubiquitous workplace automation hands over repetitive and dangerous jobs to
robots. Humans stay in the mix providing oversight and the personal touch.

18. The Human Touch
In an ever more digital world, workers increasingly favour those firms that can
offer more emotional engagement and, specifically, human to human contact.

19. Self Organised Gig Rights
Continued growth of the gig economy drives the extension of labour rights.
Sick pay, holiday and pensions become integrated across part-time roles.

20. Digital Skills
Some see an age of good work, good jobs and better quality of life. But,
essential to this is bridging the digital skills gaps and broader polarisation.

21. Next Gen Expectations
The perspective gap grows between the increasingly globally aware young and
the more traditional views of their more senior, more experienced colleagues.

22. NEXT STEPS – Deeper expert exploration of the key issues and policy implications

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