Lifelong learning will give you lifelong employability and this is more significant when digital technologies like AI, robotics and automation are advancing rapidly. Automation is not a thing of future anymore because many of the complex tasks can be automated using the present-day technologies itself. Few companies worldwide have already embraced AI at small levels and are prepared to make a transition. So, if the workers need to promote themselves to new roles and positions, they will need to invest their time in education and training to hone their skills.
Companies are offering formal training to their employees but that alone is not enough to prepare the population for a dynamic future with advanced technology. According to a survey by McKinsey, only 25 percent of the companies told that training programs improved the performance of their company. And, some companies said that they never check the returns on their investments done in training. However, according to them, highly skilled employees are more productive and they also need new skills to be ready to deal with the changes in the company’s requirements.
McKinsey Global Institute believes that there will be work for everyone based on most of the scenarios but the changes that will come with AI and automation will be significant. The occupations will definitely change along with educational as well as skill requirements. So, work will have to be redesigned to make sure that humans work with machines effectively and produce better results. The shift in workforce skills will accelerate due to automation and hence the demand for technological skills will grow. Along with programming skills, emotional, critical thinking and information processing skills will be in high demand. So, the population needs to train themselves according to the demand of work in future.
Many countries are already facing the challenge of training their workers for meeting the requirements of employers. If people want to move up the ladder and keep the jobs in future, they will have to get specialized training and enhance their skills. People can choose to train themselves in those sectors that will have high growth potential.
A survey by Pew Research Center found that around 87 percent of the workers believe that it is necessary for everyone to get training as well as develop new skills throughout their life if they want to keep pace with the changes in future. According to this survey, employment is higher among jobs, which require only education and job training, average communication and interpersonal skills and a higher level of critical thinking skills.
In the coming years, the workers will depend on complementary skill sets. Hence, it will be necessary to have college as well as vocational training. You don’t have to follow the same path of completing the school, getting into a good college and finishing it with specialized degrees to have competitive edge. Although those things may be necessary, practical hands-on experience will be equally important along with classroom courses. When you get training in high- growth sectors, you will not only stay ahead of other workers but also you will get new opportunities in the evolving future.