Digital Reskilling and Upskilling of the New Workforce

The COVID-19 pandemic has created a global economic crisis, putting tens of millions of people out of work. On the one hand, the rapid growth of disruptive technologies has called attention to digital skills to navigate the fourth industrial revolution (4IR). On the other hand, COVID-19 has accelerated the digital transformation of workplaces to deal with the disruptions of lockdown. As countries slowly reopen economies, some jobs may be lost forever or may be transformed to require new skills. As the COVID-19 impact leaves a bigger digital footprint on business practices and tools, a new breed of jobs is also likely to emerge as companies transform.

Both old and new jobs will require digital skills as people return to work. New and updated skills will put them in a better position to access new or transformed job roles.  Even after the COVID-19 crisis, many jobs may continue to be remote. Workers in the gig economy, providing part-time services to several employers on short-term contracts, will need to update their skills continuously to remain relevant in the market. The prevalence of disruptive technologies and the rapid digital transformation accelerated by COVID-19 are making technical skills even more in-demand.

Training institutions and employers need to consider new approaches to meet the growing need for re-skilling and up-skilling the workforce throughout the work life cycle, rather than predominantly at the start of a career. This calls for new partnerships to bring technology and people together, where tech companies, employers, non-profit groups, and government workforce agencies make joint and connected efforts.

The future of jobs is at the heart of development in Asia and the Pacific. This makes preparing workers with the right skills and capabilities for the future central to the Asian Development Bank (ADB) portfolio for technical and vocational education and training (TVET) and skills development. In recent years, disruptive technologies have unsettled labor markets, intensifying worries of extensive job losses from automation and of economies in the region losing their comparative advantage where based on low labor costs. Policy makers are concerned about how well developing countries can transition effectively to Industry 4.0, or the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR). Better understanding is needed of the implications of 4IR for the future of jobs and the readiness of education and training institutions to prepare for future labor markets. In response, ADB studied how jobs, tasks, and skills are likely to be transformed, to determine policy directions toward preparing the workforce for future jobs.  (Forthcoming ADB Publication: Reaping Benefits of Industry 4.0 Through Skills Development in High Growth Industries in Southeast Asia: Insights from Cambodia, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Viet Nam. ADB, 2020.) 

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References: 

Education Issues in Asia and the Pacific 

ADB's Work in the Education Sector 

Giving Hope to Young Filipinos through JobStart Philippines 

Quality Jobs and the Future of Work