How can you keep your abilities up to date and create new ones in an ever-changing world?
According to Statistics SA, the young unemployment rate (15-34) in South Africa is presently 38.9%. To put this in perspective, around one out of every three persons in the United States is unemployed.
The unemployment rate for people between the ages of 15 and 24 is substantially higher, at 53.7 percent. On the other hand, organizations on the opposite side of the skills divide are anxious for qualified people to fill positions in trade, management, and sales.
People with hard-to-find skill sets are crucial for the economy’s growth and the Fourth Industrial Revolution’s success (4IR). It’s also vital that there’s a sea change that allows individuals to gain meaningful, transferrable skills that aren’t only related to skill demand, but also targeted to those who need them most.
Job creation in the future
“The emphasis on driving skills development is not just about ensuring companies have access to the competencies they require, but also about assisting in the creation of future employment,” says Jaime Galviz, Microsoft MEA COO and CMO (Middle East and Africa). “As the information economy grows, the divide between rich and poor widens. skills that exist and skills that are needed will continue to grow.”
Cloud computing alone is expected to offer more than 515, 000 employment possibilities across major markets in MEA by 2022, according to research conducted by Microsoft and IDC. Nonetheless, according to the World Economic Forum, roughly 40% of employers in the MENA (Middle East and North Africa) area lack access to the skills they require, which is limiting growth.
Development of social and technological skills
Veronica Brits, Partner Program Manager, RSA Web, argues that in order to launch South Africa into the future of 4IR, “we need to design programs that truly start to address the challenging themes and to establish successful habits and skills.” “We need to use real-life examples and tales to develop real-life impacts and tales. Business people who address real life challenges. I believe that we can affect the existing ecosystem with technology, using accredited workshops and sessions to focus on social and technology skills development.”
So, how can businesses concentrate on closing the skills gap? Where do they glance to see how far behind they are? What tools can individuals learn to help them advance in sectors where skills are in short supply?
The initial step
The first step is to look at business programs that are focused on skill development.
Change must come through a partnership between the commercial and public sectors, one that prioritizes digital literacy, science, technology, engineering, the arts, and mathematics (STEAM). Design-thinking, creative problem-solving, and innovation-inspiring teaching systems that fit nicely into some of the world’s most prestigious universities.
A lot of companies have been paying attention. The Microsoft Cloud Society provides free cloud modules to help people improve their cloud skills; the Southern African Institute of Learning offers the 1956 Business Empowerment Programme; the University of Johannesburg has a number of enterprise development programs tailored to disadvantaged youth; and Oasis provides training in these important areas.
There’s also Lead Change Developments, Red and Yellow, Woolworths, and a slew of other companies.
Relevant and easily accessible
Skills development opportunities must become more widely available, and they must be relevant in terms of more than simply what they give or how free they are.
For people who live in remote locations with no cash for housing or internet connection, a free course in Johannesburg is as unachievable as a paid course down the road. Skills development solutions must be both comprehensive and focused.
However, as these possibilities become more widely available to people who require them, it begs the question of which skills they should concentrate on in order to remain relevant after training.
Sure, STEAM is important, but what else is there?
Creativity is important, but there’s more to it.
“Along with interpersonal skills, creativity is a critical talent to sharpen,” says Jenny Retief, CEO of Riversands Incubation Hub. “We’ve come to believe that occupations in technology, math, engineering, and robotics are part of the fourth industrial revolution. Yes, this is correct. However, careers like User Experience design, relationship management, and creative engagement have promise (maybe even more so).”
EQ additionally NB
“Your AI’s IQ is only as good as its EQ,” said Danielle Krettek, the creator of Google’s Empathy Lab.
In a high-tech world where automation is becoming more prevalent, the importance and presence of the human aspect will become even more critical. Many experts believe that art, creativity, compassion, understanding, and human interaction will replace digital and technological capabilities in the future.
To be relevant in today’s world, everyone, regardless of their current career or future ambitions, must constantly work on building complementing abilities.
Continue to learn.
Retief recommends combining strong programming with project management and a high EQ. “Continue to learn and commit time outside of your regular employment to improving your abilities.
The internet, a mentor, or a coach may all help you learn. Personal undertakings that engage a separate portion of the brain.”
It is critical for both the business and the person to begin viewing the skills challenge as a worthwhile endeavor. There is no doubt that this is a hard and tough endeavor, but one that will provide enormous rewards.
“My advice is to not only look at the here and now, but also to be externally and forward-focused; take time to network and be aware of changes taking place in the global workplace so that you can anticipate what the impact of the change will be in the future,” says Basetsana Magano, MD of Phetogo Consulting.
This also implies that you must be prepared to take chances and learn new things, which may result in mistakes, which you must accept as part of the learning process. If you want to stay relevant, don’t be afraid to make mistakes,” Magano continues.
How Can I Improve My Ability To Adapt In A Changing World?
In the age of digital change and the post-Covid world, upskilling is critical. Tatler examines a variety of personal and professional development platforms to see how they may assist individuals in preparing for the new normal.
Many of us have emerged from the circuit breaker time with new talents and hobbies, whether it’s making bread, studying French, or practicing yoga.
Thankfully, there are plenty of options, thanks to the rise of online learning platforms covering anything from home cooking to mental health management during Covid-19, with content to satisfy a variety of thirsts for knowledge. You may also plan your study, work at your own speed, and select your teachers.
If, for example, you feel that those fuzzy photos of your kids shot with your smartphone camera aren’t cutting it anymore, turn to Masterclass for advice from celebrity photographer Annie Leibovitz.
Then, on Skillshare, study the principles of picture editing, and then on Coursera, explore the importance of photography in our increasingly visual culture through the collection of the Museum of Modern Art.
But, in addition to self-improvement, there are platforms that cover a wide range of professional development topics, such as leadership and company strategy, with the brightest brains and industry practitioners sharing their knowledge and even providing mentoring possibilities. One of the workforce initiatives for Covid-19 recovery might be these learning communities.
The quest of knowledge is eternal, and studies have shown that people who engage in lifelong learning have higher levels of happiness and resilience in the face of hardship.
Three Singapore-based personal and professional development platforms demonstrate how they’re transforming the educational landscape.
NewCampus
Fei Yao and Will Fan, serial entrepreneurs, created education start-up NewCampus in 2015 with the goal of equipping modern working professionals with the skills and information they would need to future-proof themselves in a quickly changing environment. They do so through a mix of online and offline courses, masterclasses, and conferences conducted at WeWork in Suntec City, one of the company’s co-learning campuses.
Since the coronavirus outbreak, that mission has taken on new significance. “An alarmingly big number of individuals are being laid off throughout the world right now as a result of industries or occupations that can no longer be supported. Those that have been retained, on the other hand, tend to have transferrable talents, and they are coming up with new ideas and constructing organizations to adapt to this difficult time,” says Yao, who is in charge of corporate strategy and Fan is the CEO.
NewCampus has brought together industry leaders, influencers, and game-changers from around the world to engage in relevant topics such as resilient leadership, the future of remote work, and innovation in a pandemic, among others, to help equip its members with the skills required to overcome these difficult times. Paypal’s senior director of innovation, Michael Todasco, recently held a lunchtime group mentoring session on Zoom to explore how to create an innovative culture. Each hour-long program, which is part of a Power Lunch Hour series, is limited to 15 individuals so that participants may ask questions and receive immediate response. Meanwhile, Adobe’s worldwide director held a two-hour virtual conference.
NewCampus is now totally online to provide its users control over their course timelines while being introduced into a community of supporting professionals, in an effort to foster the concept of borderless learning. Members will also be allocated a personal growth concierge who will help them achieve their objectives. Nearly 600 new users have joined the platform internationally.
“As we move forward with additional 21st-century issues, we want individuals and business to continue to strive to grasp new ideas, embrace quick experimentation, and develop resilience,” Yao says. She began learning Spanish on Duolingo, a language education program, as an active student herself, while Fan has been challenging him to master yoga poses with videos on YouTube.
Crane .
What can a social club like Crane do in this day of social isolation? The year-old community for lifelong learning aimed at working people and senior professionals, like other enterprises, has had to migrate to the digital realm. What sets it apart, though, is that most of its material, which is centered on sustainability, mindfulness, and skill-sharing, is developed by its community, with users contributing their knowledge and experience.
“Our community itself engages in content creation—how that’s we interact with people, guaranteeing what we make is relatable,” says Founder and CEO Federico Folcia. Crane Live, the company’s digital extension, will reflect this when it opens later this month. The open platform enables artists with something significant or a passion to share to connect with an audience in four ways: an uploadable document, pre-recorded video, interactive video session through Zoom or Skype, or an in-person meet-up at a club or elsewhere, social distancing measures allowed.
Crane hosted a full calendar of interest-based content focused on self-care, self-discovery, and an active mind and body at its space (pictured above), which also includes areas for co-working and events, in the former Nan Chiau Girls’ High School building on Kim Yam Road, prior to the launch of Covid.
“People will become more conscious post-Covid, and we want to assist them acquire skills to go through this phase. Crane Live “offers the possibility of reaching out to more people, of helping them understand what the Crane club is about, of providing a space to help people stay relevant and socially engaged as we age,” says Folcia, who founded the now-defunct Roomorama, an online platform for short-term rentals.
Classes on mindfulness for self-healing by meditator Michelle Ayn Tessensohn and living for your health and the planet’s with agricultural activist Manda Foo, creator of Bollywood Adventures, are among the upcoming material on Crane Live. As Crane’s attitude suggests, personal improvement has no bounds.
Tigerhall
According to Nellie Wartoft (shown above), founder and CEO of microlearning platform Tigerhall, Tigerhall University does not prepare us for our jobs. “Skill gaps between certifying colleges and the know-how required in an organization must be bridged by professionals themselves.” Wartoft found severe deficiencies, notably in soft skills, among jobseekers fresh out of university while directing sales and marketing at global recruiting agency Page Group.
Tigerhall, a knowledge-sharing program that allows professionals to learn directly from Asia’s most successful business leaders, was born from this seed. This 550-strong assembly has been dubbed “influencers,” a term formed from the terms “thought leader” and “influencer.” It comprises top global strategy advisor and FutureMap creator Parag Khanna, as well as former AirAsia CEO Kathleen Tan.
Members can access bite-sized material such as podcasts with thinkfluencers providing Asia-specific insights, which are complemented with succinct power reads with takeaways they can act on right away, depending on their objectives, whether they want to be a better leader or develop their business. In-person training and networking events are also available, as well as private dinners and drinks and group mentorship sessions.
The Singapore-based start-up, which recently expanded into Malaysia, aims to partner with employers to engage employees through more dynamic learning and development efforts as the education industry continues to transform. “We are concentrating our efforts on giving all professionals in Asia—regardless of their background and circumstances—access to success,” enthuses Wartoft.
“In the next three to five years, I believe traditional learning platforms will be obsolete. Employees can’t afford to devote time to learning programs that are useless and dry, so a one-size-fits-all video platform strategy doesn’t work.”
Here are three additional platforms where FUTURE FEMALES may be found.
This community-driven platform, which just established its first Asian chapter in Singapore, provides female entrepreneurs with vital tools such as curated events and a specialized business school through a worldwide network of women entrepreneurs. A Founders Club, made up of industry leaders who assist members in reaching their career objectives, is also available.
GNOWBEING
This Singapore-based mobile-first learning and engagement platform offers a collection of microlearning courses selected by academics and industry professionals covering themes such as corporate leadership and management, as well as health and wellness. For behavior change that has a commercial impact, knowledge acquisition follows a four-step process: know, think, apply, and share.
SCHOOL FOR REACTORS
This Singapore-based education start-up has put its distinctive two-day boot camp, EntreCamp, online to engage students from pre-tertiary and tertiary institutions in navigating their own entrepreneurial paths.
The justification for change is that we live in a new world. New abilities.
Developing the future workforce will cost billions of dollars. The penalty of inaction, on the other hand, will be far higher.
It’s a new world, and new abilities are required. For many people, that is a thrilling idea since it implies development. However, the sheer speed, extent, and effect of technological development is posing fundamental challenges to businesses — and society at large. Last year, I traveled throughout the world, speaking with CEOs and other business leaders about the future workforce and what to anticipate. Most individuals think that the digital era will offer benefits in general, but they are concerned that neither they nor their employees are prepared.
There is a disconnect between people’s current digital capabilities and those required to live, study, and work in the digital age. The need to upskill – to close the gap — is a difficult issue that will involve collaboration from government officials, educators, and business leaders. Go to Upskill my workforce for the digital world to discover more about upskilling your own employees.
They have every reason to be concerned. Because of technological progress, one out of every three employment is projected to be severely disrupted or eliminated within the next decade. Almost half of all low-skilled occupations and one-third of semi-skilled employment might be affected by this disruption. According to the World Economic Forum (pdf), upskilling the 1.37 million Americans whose jobs are presently in jeopardy will cost US$34 billion, or $24,800 per person. When you multiply it by 100 to account for the rest of the globe, the figures become mind-boggling.
Inaction, on the other hand, will come at a higher price. On a worldwide basis, there is already a skills gap, and millions of jobs are vacant. Not only is unemployment low, but so is production. Many industrialized economies, and especially developing economies, are unable to attract enough competent workers to fill open positions. However, the digital divide between affluent and poor must be allowed to deepen any more.
People will also require a greater understanding of technology in order to make better decisions. Digital media is exacerbating social fracture, leading many people to doubt the accuracy of information. Climate change, as well as advancements in energy technology and transportation, will need novel methods to environmental sustainability. The increasing usage of surveillance technology is causing ethics and governance to be reconsidered. Furthermore, breakthroughs in genetic engineering and artificial intelligence are generating concerns about what it means to be human.
Solutions for upskilling
Faced with these growing issues, the only choice is upskilling: assisting present workers, those who are now unemployed, those just starting their careers, and those in the next generation in gaining the knowledge and skills they require — and that society requires — in the digital age. The good news is that employees are willing to take the risk. PwC recently polled over 22,000 people around the world to see whether they would upskill to become more employable, and 77% replied yes.
Upskilling refers to providing people with the information, skills, and abilities they need to use and comprehend complex and rapidly changing technology in the job and in their daily life. Not everyone needs to learn to code, but a lot of people do need to comprehend and handle artificial intelligence, data analytics, driverless cars, and other developing and future technologies that can’t even be foreseen.
However, upskilling entails more than just training folks how to use a new gadget. By the next year, such device may be outdated. It entails learning to think, behave, and live in a digital environment in a way that is long-term sustainable.
To build its own upskilling solution, each country will need to assess the demography of its inhabitants, its level of technological maturity, and the nature of its economy. A area with an established economy, an elderly population, and a strong service sector will have different objectives than one with a growing, primarily rural economy and a population with a majority of individuals under the age of 30. Luxembourg, for example, and Singapore, and Canada are preparing their workers by introducing incentives to help them learn new skills.
Many prominent firms announced in 2019 that they will make significant investments in their workforce. For example, Amazon announced a $700 million commitment to upskill 100,000 employees. PwC has always welcomed new technologies and innovation in our working methods, which includes learning and development. We began our own upskilling journey in 2017 and focused our efforts on discovering solutions that work. In September of this year, we announced a $3 billion investment in upskilling our workforce.
We believe it is most successful to let individuals select what they want to learn, thus we support and encourage an employee-led approach to innovation. We urge our employees to put their new talents to good use in their careers and with clients. Some of this learning occurs in classrooms, but the majority occurs through self-paced multimedia and simulation game modules, or through projects in which teams learn by creating and sharing new tools.
We’ll keep track of what works and what doesn’t, and we’ll post our findings on our upskilling website. Our goal with this effort is to promote a multi-stakeholder approach in which everyone participating in the upskilling process benefits from the finest efforts, and those advantages can be expanded and shared, no matter where they exist. I’m aware that motivating individuals to accept new methods of working is achievable. I’ve seen it at PwC and assisted other companies in implementing a similar strategy.
Technological development creates complicated issues that will necessitate collaboration among decision-makers, including educators, national, regional, and local government officials, and corporate leaders. It is now it is time to build a movement, in which companies and communities around the world join together to create the next wave of human capability.
Skills that you should develop in order to keep up with the changing world
The world has evolved dramatically in recent years, and it will almost certainly continue to do so in the future. Indeed, some occupations have become outdated in recent decades, and your future job title may not even exist yet! If you want to have the best chance of succeeding in this changing environment, you’ll need to learn some new abilities. Take a look at a handful of the most important abilities to acquire now if you want to improve tomorrow.
Keep an open mind.
To begin, you’ll need a mind that is continuously seeking fresh information. Given that you’re reading this to learn something new, you most certainly already possess this attribute; all you have to do now is maintain it! When you’re inquisitive, you’re always looking for new ways to learn and comprehend things, and you’ll need curiosity to figure out how to utilize a fresh new piece of technology, for example. If you want to stay on top of your game in the future, just keep being curious and eager for information.
Know where to look for information and how to evaluate it
You virtually always have access to the internet no matter where you are. However, this does not always imply that information is readily available! Some folks have no idea how to look for the information they want. And if they do, they are unable to examine what they discover, leading to the propagation of false information. To prevent this problem, make sure you know how to conduct a search for solutions to your questions—and that you don’t believe everything you read on the internet. Cross-check any facts and numbers you use with other sources (such as various reliable websites or books) to be sure they’re correct. This is a talent you’ll need both at business and in your personal life.
Improve your problem-solving skills.
The capacity to find out how to solve difficulties is another important talent to have in the future. In other words, rather than merely knowing how to respond to questions, you should also be able to ask them when appropriate. This is because asking the proper questions can aid you in finding the greatest solutions while also allowing you to think critically. Plus, your boss and coworkers won’t always have the answers, so you’ll have to learn to find things out on your own.
Boost your digital cooperation abilities.
The ability to work from anywhere is one of the largest workplace trends we’re seeing today—and will continue to see in the years ahead. In fact, just under half of the workforce will be remote employees who work from home, a local coffee shop, or perhaps a coworking space in a few years. If you haven’t already, working with individuals from distant cities, states, or nations will be a common occurrence. This implies you’ll need to become used to interacting on the cloud with a range of digital tools. You may be video conferencing, texting, messaging, screen sharing, or contacting your coworkers, all of which need you to be on the move.
Acquire the ability to adjust
You must be willing to develop throughout time as things change in order to be successful in the future. As a result, be prepared to change as needed. This might imply being willing to learn new software, an app, or a smartphone. It might also mean being okay with working from home rather than at the office, or connecting with coworkers via a different app than you’re used to. Being adaptable and willing to retrain as needed will make you a valuable asset in the corporate world in the future.
Improve your communication skills.
Finally, this is an excellent time to brush up on your writing and spoken communication abilities if you lack them. Good communication will never go out of style, whether it’s in five or 10 years. You’ll always need to know how to communicate your message, whether it’s on paper or in person. You should be able to explain your thoughts effectively and concisely in addition to having acceptable spelling and punctuation. As a result, you should be able to persuade others and be more productive in your job.
If you want to ensure that you have a chance at a variety of employment in the next years, you should examine these desirable qualities. If you don’t already have them, its not too late