FINAL WORD

James McLeod , EMEA Director , Faethm , explains why reskilling the workforce is imperative to prepare for the future of work and says all it takes is the will to do things differently .

revolutions . You cannot discuss the first industrial revolution in the late 18th and early 19th centuries , for example , without referencing steam power and the migration of the workforce from the country to the city . The same goes for the third industrial revolution , which can ’ t be mentioned without reference to the Internet and rapid globalisation .

Today , as the increasing influence of AI / automation and the decentralisation of labour push the world towards the fourth industrial revolution , it ’ s become clear that each of these epochs shares a common characteristic : they have all accelerated the rise and fall of demand for specific skills .

Over the past 100 years or more , the length of these cycles has dropped from decades to a matter of years . This is creating one of the biggest employability challenges for businesses and individuals alike moving forward , as they both seek to ensure they are attuned to the demands of today ’ s work .

Companies must fundamentally change the way they view skills , training and career development to stay abreast of this change . This isn ’ t just another story about technology creating as many jobs as it invalidates : they must consider how existing roles will evolve and how people in at-risk jobs can transition into roles where they work alongside technology and continue to add value on top of it .

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