Across OECD countries, jobs requiring higher levels 6 of skills proficiency are growing fastest. Industries most affected will disproportionately impact some workers more than others: low skilled, low learners and women. Roles in sales, business & financial operations and office & EMPLOYABILITY administration are all under threat from automation, and these the ability to gain and maintain a desired job tend to have higher proportions of women. Industries which expect jobs growth, including architecture, engineering, computer and mathematical roles, tend to have a lower “On average, by 2020, more than participation of women. If the current trajectory continues a third of the desired core skill women could face three million job losses and only half a 7 sets of most occupations will be million gains, more than five jobs lost for every job gained. comprised of skills that are not yet For people, employability — the ability to gain and considered crucial to the job today.” maintain a desired job — no longer depends on what ~ World Economic Forum you already know, but on what you are likely to learn. Those organizations that can blend the right combination of people, skills and technology are those that will win. FUTURE PROOFING: HUMANS AUGMENTING ROBOTS The future of work will require different skills and employers will need to focus on reskilling and upskilling people more than ever before to address today’s talent shortages and anticipate the demands of tomorrow. Almost three-quarters are investing in internal training to keep skills up to date, 44% are recruiting additional skillsets rather than replacing and more than a third are easing the transformation by bringing in contractors or third parties to transfer expert skills to their own workforce. We should not underestimate the value of human connection. Transformation of work in the machine age need not be a battle of human versus robot. Reskilling and Upskilling Recruiting/Outsourcing 74% 62% 39% 44% 29% 23% Offer Offer Bring in outside Recruit staff Recruit staff Outsource internal external experts on a with new skill with new skill business training training temporary basis sets in addition sets to replace functions to to transfer to existing existing third parties skills to existing employees employees employees 6 Survey of Adult Skills, OECD (2016) 7 The Future of Jobs, World Economic Forum (2016) 6 | The Skills Revolution