Using technology foresights for identifying future skills needs
The problem of identifying future skills needs is becoming more and more acute in the context of the current dynamics of the global economy. In the turbulent times the speed of change is growing while the global competition in numerous sectors is further becoming tighter, with former leaders leaving and new actors joining the game. To avoid disorientation caused by the pace of the economic globalization, governments need to look forward to the long-term development of the critical sectors of the national economy. In particular, of interest are the technology-driven industries – as the focal points concentrating research and development, foreign direct investment, talent and cutting-edge technology. The use of technologies increases labour productivity and economic competitiveness and may potentially fuel growth with a positive impact on employment. The technology can partially substitute the labour thus influencing the structure of the demand: skill-intensive jobs become more sought-after while jobs with routine tasks can be fully substituted by the technological solutions.
With the launch of Skills Foresight project under the auspices of the G20 Training Strategy, an attempt was made to bridge the two areas of research and planning to introduce a technology foresight-based method of skills anticipation built around international best practices. One of the key landmarks of the project was the Global Workshop “Using Technology Foresights for Identifying Future Skills Needs” which featured leading skills anticipation and technology foresight experts across the globe. The workshop results are presented in this publication.