Editorial

The need for a future-proof workforce

As the society transitions towards the fourth industrial revolution (4IR), there is a need for a change in the approach of preparing the future workforce. Based on the data from the Education Commission, it is predicted that by 2030, “more than half of the nearly 2 billion youth worldwide will not have the skills or qualifications necessary to participate in the emerging global workforce.” Given this, institutions responsible for the education and preparation of the future workforce have to be more adaptive and responsive to the skills and qualifications that are deemed necessary as businesses and markets align their practices with new approaches. 

As defined by Klaus Schwab, founder and executive chairman of the World Economic Forum, the 4IR is “a fusion of technologies that is blurring the lines between the physical, digital, and biological spheres; a progress defined by velocity, scope, and systems impact.” In simpler terms, the use emergence of robotics, artificial intelligence, internet, digitalization, and automation is manifested in various industries. In the Philippines, there are institutions that provide skills-based trainings such as TESDA and other technical-vocational schools. However, many of the courses offered by these institutions still focus on human services that do not necessarily teach students how to deal with the utilization of robots and artificial intelligence and coursing through the digital and fully-automated world.

It was accounted that due to the COVID-19 pandemic, about 10.9 million Filipinos have lost their jobs. Also, business establishments have closed due to the lockdown. Of course, there are many factors that contributed to this economic turmoil. But people can learn from this period of time about skills improvement and development. Many of the businesses such as the BPO industry, media and telecommunication, and other automated services are thriving amidst global pandemic – industries that are already prepared for the 4IR. According to a framework created by Deloitte Global and Global Business Coalition for Education, a revolutionized workforce requires skills categorized as: workforce readiness (digital literacy, professionalism, etiquette, social norms), soft skills (communication, critical thinking, creative thinking, collaboration, adaptability, initiative, leadership), technical skills (computer programming, coding, project management, financial management, mechanical functions, scientific tasks, technology-based skills), and entrepreneurship (initiative, innovation, creativity, industriousness, resourcefulness, resilience, ingenuity, curiosity, optimism, risk-taking, courage, business acumen, business execution).

For academic institutions, maybe it is high time to maximize education by introducing the aforementioned skills into the mainstream curriculum. The arrival of the 4IR is inevitable; industries and institutions are adapting.

Thus, the only way to survive the future is to adapt and strategically equip oneself with skills and qualifications necessary to navigate into the fourth industrial revolution.