The world of work is changing—fast. To stay one step ahead, businesses need to be prepared to rapidly and continually upskill and reskill employees and teams. The need for Upskilling and Reskilling is a global issue now.

Multiple reports state that more than half of employees will need significant reskilling and upskilling. Not just in technical capabilities like understanding emerging technologies like artificial intelligence. But, also to become proficient in soft skills such as communication, attention to detail and listening skills, etc.

The world is changing at a rapid pace. Regardless of whether the change is brought on by technology or societal shifts, learning has become necessary to stay competitive in the job market.

With the global business landscape changing rapidly, apart from other employee benefit essentials, this panel discussion will highlight the need for businesses today to provide substantial upskilling and reskilling options if they are to retain their top talent. It’s the need of the hour to equip the workforce to thrive by developing the skills they need to make the most of future changes and opportunities.

Even in the best of times, uncertainty about skills needs and training opportunities is substantial and pervasive. It has long been a challenge to predict the skills youths will need to participate effectively in a changing economy and society.

Now, as the COVID-19 pandemic and economic crisis have upended how we live, socialize, work and do business, our predictions and planning around skills are even more uncertain. The foggy future of work has arrived, and it has reshaped the future of work far quicker than anyone could have predicted.

Indeed, the market today has highlighted gaps in our ability to predict labor market trends and the importance of developing new approaches to foresight—gaps that stand in the way of achieving a skills and employment ecosystem that is responsive, adaptable and resilient.

This panel discussion will focus to the development of a post-pandemic skills agenda by clarifying broad changes and continuities in the economy and society that could have implications for skills and identifying a set of new skills on which is needed to better understand the challenges and opportunities which we face in coming future.