Global connectivity, smart machines, and new media are just some of the drivers reshaping how we think about work, what constitutes work, and the skills we will need to be productive contributors in the future. Rather than focusing on future jobs, we need to look closely at future work skills—proficiencies and abilities required across different jobs and work settings.
Six drivers of change
But first it is important to stop and think about drivers—big disruptive shifts that are likely to
reshape the future landscape. Although each driver in itself is important when thinking about the future,
it is a confluence of several drivers working together that produces true disruptions. We chose the six drivers
that emerged from the research as the most important and relevant to future work skills.
1. extreme
longevity: Increasing global
lifespans change the
nature of careers
and learning
Aging individuals will increasingly demand opportunities,
products, and medical services to accommodate more
healthy and active senior years. As we move toward to a
world of healthier lifestyles and holistic approaches to what
we eat, how we work, and where we live, much of daily
life—and the global economy as a whole—will be viewed
through the lens of health.
2.rise of
smart machines
and systems: Workplace automation
nudges human
workers out of rote,
repetitive tasksThe real power in robotics
technologies lies in their ability to augment and extend
our own capabilities. We will be entering into a new kind
of partnership with machines that will build on our mutual
strengths, resulting in a new level of human-machine collaboration and codependence.
3. computational
world
Massive increases in
sensors and processing
power make the world
a programmable
system. Our work and personal lives will increasingly demand abilities to interact with data, see patterns in
data, make data-based decisions, and use data to design
for desired outcomes.
4.new media
ecology
New communication
tools require new
media literacies
beyond text. . New media is enabling new ways for groups to come
together and collaborate, bringing in new levels of transparency to our work and personal lives. At the same time,
our sensibility toward reality and truth is likely to be radically
altered by the new media ecology. We must learn to
approach content with more skepticism and the realization
that what you see today may be different tomorrow.
5.superstructed
organizations
Social technologies
drive new forms of
production and value
creation. A new generation of organizational concepts and work skills
is coming not from traditional management/organizational
theories but from fields such as game design, neuroscience, and happiness psychology. These fields will drive the
creation of new training paradigms and tools.
6.globally
connected world
Increased global interconnectivity puts diversity and
adaptability at the center
of organizational
operations. Presence in areas where new competitors are popping up
is critical to survival, but it is not enough. The key is not just
to employ people in these locales but also to effectively integrate these local employees and local business processes
into the infrastructure of global organizations in order to
remain competitive
Ten skills for the furture workforce
Sensemaking
Definition: ability to determine the deeper meaning
or significance of what is being expressed
Social intelligence
Definition: ability to connect to others in a deep and
direct way, to sense and stimulate reactions and
desired interactions
Novel & adaptive thinking
Definition:proficiency at thinking and coming up
with solutions and responses beyond that which is rote
or rule-based
Cross-cultural competency
Definition: ability to operate in different cultural settings
Computational thinking
Definition: ability to translate vast amounts of data into
abstract concepts and to understand data-based reasoning
New-media literacy
Definition: ability to critically assess and develop content
that uses new media forms, and to leverage these media for
persuasive communication
Transdisciplinarity
Definition: literacy in and ability to understand concepts
across multiple disciplines
Design mindset
Definition: ability to represent and develop tasks
and work processes for desired outcomes
Important implications
To be successful in the next decade, individuals will need to demonstrate foresight in navigating a rapidly shifting landscape
of organizational forms and skill requirements. Workers in the future will need to be adaptable
lifelong learners.
Educational institutions at the primary, secondary, and
post-secondary levels, are largely the products of technology
infrastructure and social circumstances of the past.
Some directions of
change might include:
- Placing additional emphasis on developing skills such as
critical thinking, insight, and analysis capabilities
- Integrating new-media literacy into education programs
- Including experiential learning that gives prominence
to soft skills—such as the ability to collaborate, work in
groups, read social cues, and respond adaptively
- Broadening the learning constituency beyond teens and
young adults through to adulthood
- Integrating interdisciplinary training that allows students to
develop skills and knowledge in a range of subjects
Businesses must also be alert to the changing environment
and adapt their workforce planning and development strategies
to ensure alignment with future skill requirements.A workforce strategy
for sustaining business goals should be one of the most critical
outcomes of human resource professionals and should involve
collaborating with universities to address lifelong learning and
skill requirements.
Governmental policymakers will need to respond to the
changing landscape by taking a leadership role and making
education a national priority. If education is not prioritized,
we risk compromising our ability to prepare our people for a
healthy and sustainable future. For Americans to be prepared
and for our businesses to be competitive, policy makers should
consider the full range of skills citizens will require, as well as
the importance of lifelong learning and constant skill renewal.
The Institute for the Future (IFTF) is an independent, nonprofit strategic research group with more than 40 years of forecasting experience. The core of our work is identifying emerging trends and discontinuities that will transform global society and the global marketplace
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