{"id":39506,"date":"2020-09-28T06:52:22","date_gmt":"2020-09-28T04:52:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/blog\/?p=39506"},"modified":"2025-09-22T12:50:58","modified_gmt":"2025-09-22T10:50:58","slug":"how-to-respond-to-the-future-of-work-the-importance-of-upskilling","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/blog\/how-to-respond-to-the-future-of-work-the-importance-of-upskilling\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Respond to the Future of Work: The Importance of Upskilling"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

How are you evolving your skills for the future of work? This is one of the most pertinent questions workers are asking themselves. However, the answer is constantly changing. With every new technology, innovation, regulation, and system, the most in-demand skills shift. The capabilities that employers are looking for today are no longer the capabilities of last year, and in many industries this has created a significant skills gap. Now, more than ever before, employees and leaders need to stay abreast \u2013 or better yet, ahead \u2013 of change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Individuals are expected to live up to the age of 115,1<\/sup> making the working lifespan that much longer. Yet these workplace changes also offer opportunities; with every new skill needed, you have the potential to reinvent yourself, your role, and your career. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2018The Future of Work Is Here<\/a>\u2019 report from GetSmarter details our human ability to adapt to new driving forces within the working world. To better understand the implications of globalization, megatrends, and emerging technologies<\/a>, GetSmarter conducted research that reached over 8,000 respondents globally, allowing for significant insight into the current and future business impact of such forces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The report discovered that although technology is one of the biggest catalysts for change, ultimately the impact of this change is human. As machines augment our workplace, we’re left to explore the unique skills that set us apart as people. What this climate of change has shown is that lifelong learning and the need to upskill has become critical to individuals and organizations alike.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Do you have the skills needed for the future?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) has paved the way for transformative change. Today, the lines between physical, digital, and biological worlds have blurred, as artificial intelligence, robotics, the Internet of Things, 3D printing, and other industry advances become increasingly embedded within society. These technologies are some of the biggest drivers of change in the workplace and they\u2019re shaping the future in various ways that are yet to be seen. What this means for the working world is still being understood, but in order to navigate the uncertainty, professionals will need to look beyond the skills of today, towards the demands of tomorrow. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the Leadership in an Exponentially Changing World online short course<\/a> from the MIT Sloan School of Management, you\u2019ll learn to leverage your unique leadership style and team strengths to drive your organization through change and towards success.<\/em><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

The GetSmarter Skills Hierarchy provides a guide to what professionals may need to upskill or reskill in the near future.<\/p>\n\n\n

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The expectation on digital capabilities has expanded over the years<\/strong>; they\u2019ve also become assumed skills for every employee<\/strong>. What once only included Microsoft Office now includes Google\u2019s G-suite, Slack, and Zoom, acting as the digital skills foundation for every professional role.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The proliferation of data has driven the demand for analytical and critical-thinking skills<\/strong>. From finance and marketing to other less obvious business functions, the ability to interpret information and extract insights that inform decisions is quickly becoming one of the most profitable skills to learn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As complexity within the business landscape has developed, leadership and interpersonal skills have become highly sought-after capabilities<\/strong>. Leaders will need to effectively drive teams through radical change and uncertainty, while ensuring their workforce is inclusive and diverse and that their business impact is transparent, conscious, and valuable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sa\u00efd Business School, University of Oxford recognizes the crucial need to prepare for leadership roles. The Oxford Women\u2019s Leadership Development Programme<\/a> offers you a space to critically examine, acknowledge, and develop your leadership style and skills. Over six weeks online, you\u2019ll build the confidence to broaden your impact and realize your full potential as a leader.<\/em><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

How people are choosing to upskill<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The 4IR has also brought about a skills shortage across industries, specifically within the realm of emerging technologies. With such rapid advances, the labor market has struggled to keep up with the rate of change. Research indicates that by 2022, \u201cno less than 54% of all employees will require significant re- and upskilling.\u201d<\/strong>2<\/sup> Organizations are realizing that bridging the gap between current and future skills goes beyond individual employee benefit \u2013 the business value of addressing the skills gap reveals major financial incentive. The WEF predicts that closing the gap could result in an additional $11.5 trillion to global GDP in 2028.3<\/sup> Business leaders are now asking themselves, how will we address the skills shortage?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Globally, companies have begun to answer this question by upskilling their employees. But despite technology driving change, the emphasis on skills gain is not solely technical. Many disruptive technologies have moved beyond their initial hype towards actual business implementation and application. Yet, even though the hype is now being acted upon, only 11 percent of respondents from our report identified learning about disruptive technologies as a key development tool used to close the gap in their existing skills. Instead people are choosing to close the skills gaps in their current capabilities by adapting to dynamic work needs and changes<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Despite what may seem like a technological takeover with advances in automation, humans are central to every technological design. With technology essentially becoming more human, it\u2019s less about using<\/em> technology (gaining technical skills) and more about interacting<\/em> with technology (harnessing interpersonal skills). According to GetSmarter\u2019s research, in the future, technical skills will serve as a means to compete, while interpersonal skills will hold the competitive advantage. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

But in order to truly close the gaps that exist, companies will need to continuously invest in the current and future workforces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Explore the power of the individual on the Communicating for Influence and Impact online short course<\/a> from the University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL). During the eight-week course, you\u2019ll develop the communication skills needed to future-proof your business and influence positive change.<\/em><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

How businesses can address the need for upskilling<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

When organizations foster a culture of learning, employees become empowered to confidently navigate change. What\u2019s more, employees understand that continuous learning is a joint responsibility<\/a> that falls both on an individual as well as a business.<\/p>\n\n\n

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There is also a notable business benefit for businesses that learn. Companies that facilitate cultures of lifelong learning are:4<\/sup><\/p>\n