4 minute read
SKILLS & TRAINING
Future skills
Are you thinking about them?
The Covid 19 pandemic
has created massive upheaval in business management and operations. Over the past 15 months, everyone has gone through a mandatory selfdiscovery exercise – processing complex information, modifying behaviour, interpreting risk, and understanding how to manage and deliver under circumstances that none of us had encountered before.
Having looked at the future skills needs for our workforce, I believe the change we have undergone is only the start, and the skills that employees bring to organisations are vital to delivering big challenges on the horizon.
WHAT ARE THE BIG CHALLENGES THAT FACE US?
Achieving net zero in the face of climate change is perhaps our biggest challenge. The drive towards an economy that puts less stress on our environment and is more sympathetic to the use of its resources is the biggest risk the world faces today. In 2019, the UK became the first big economy to pass legislation to achieve net zero by 2050, and this applies to all sectors. But what will this involve?
Electrification: Getting Britain's electricity system to meet our zero-carbon emissions target won't be easy. Net zero is a “system problem”, meaning we need to understand and solve the whole issue using a co-ordinated crosssector approach, rather than looking at singular problems in isolation. The effective storage, transportation and use of renewable energy sources and alternative fuels like hydrogen will be key to a cleaner, less resourcehungry way of living. This could change how we move, live and work as we understand
how best to manage this essential resource and slow down the effects of climate change.
Digitalisation: As we become increasingly digitally connected, we will start using technology at a breadth and scale not previously seen. From fully autonomous motorways to lights-off factories, the use of technology to manage our businesses and deliver services will continue to grow, as will the need for the infrastructure to support it.
WHICH SKILLS ARE GOING TO BE IMPORTANT?
My research over the past six months really has been an eyeopener. Below are a few of the skills I think will be important for businesses over the next few years.
Science, technology,
engineering and maths (STEM): All roads from a skills perspective point to the importance of STEM. From changing the environmental impact of buildings, and delivering the first electric and hydrogenpowered plane, to creating robots or AR and VR to train people, STEM skills will play a central role in supporting and developing products and services that can be effectively positioned in global markets.
IT and digital skills: Digital skills are important in our adjustment to current and future trends. Currently, one in five adults lack some important digital skills. As we move towards a more digital way of life, it will be important for us to understand and interpret data, secure our IT infrastructure (from hackers) and manage a more interconnected world. We will also need more people to manage and support our IT infrastructures. Individuals will need basic digital skills, and a large proportion of us will need enhanced digital skills to support new technologies being developed.
Leadership skills: Leaders in organisations need to shift away from focusing on the day to day. They need to see what is in the future, scan their environment, understand their strengths and weaknesses, and ask the big questions of employees while providing the creative space to solve them. Organisations need to develop a culture to encourage innovation, creativity to implement digital improvements and adapt and support society to improve the way we live and work ethically and sustainably.
IS THE EAST MIDLANDS READY?
As the sector engagement manager at the D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP), I genuinely believe we have everything we need in the East Midlands to be a forerunner in developing future skills and addressing local skills challenges.
Our focus is to drive the development of a skills ecosystem that can flex and respond quickly to changing demand and challenges – through early careers interventions and strengthened provider infrastructure – and maximise the use of skills and talent from all sources.
Want to know more about which skills your business might need? Get in touch with the D2N2 Skills Access Hub at d2n2skillsaccesshub.co.uk
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