World – Governments should step up their efforts to upskill workers in a digital world: OECD

Governments around the world must step up their efforts to improve their education and training policies to help more people reap the benefits of the digital transformation, according to a new report from the Organisation of Co-operation and Development.

The OECD Skills Outlook 2019 adds that this preparation would also reduce the risk of automation widening inequalities and driving unemployment,

“As job markets evolve in response to technological change, some countries are better prepared than others as a result of the skill levels of their population,” the report stated.

The report found that only a few countries, including Belgium, Denmark, Finland, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden, are ahead in terms of the skills and effective lifelong learning systems needed to thrive in the digital world.

However, according to the OECD, many other countries are lagging behind. Japan and Korea, for example, have the potential to perform well but must make greater efforts to ensure older workers and adults are not left behind. OECD adds that people in Chile, Greece, Italy, Lithuania, the Slovak Republic and Turkey often lack the skills needed to flourish in the digital world and current training systems are not developed enough to enable them to upskill.

“In our rapidly digitalising world, skills make the difference between staying ahead of the wave and falling behind,” OECD Secretary-General Angel Gurría, said. “To help people, governments will need to find the right balance between policies fostering flexibility, labour mobility and job stability. Businesses have also a key role to play in ensuring that employees upskill and reskill, adapting to the changing demands of the labour market. By improving our skills systems, we can ensure that today’s technological revolution will improve lives for all.”

According to the OECD, traditional education systems need to evolve into lifelong learning systems. Adults will need to reskill and upskill throughout their careers to keep up with changes in the labour market. The report highlights that participation in training by low-skilled adults, is 40% below that of high-skilled adults on average across the OECD. The OECD suggests that countries should create flexible and shorter types of learning opportunities, adding that technology can help through the development of online resources.

The report’s findings show that more than half of occupations (54%) at high risk of automation will need either a moderate (less than one year) or severe (more than one year) training effort for workers to transition to better-quality and safer jobs.

“The magnitude of the challenge is substantial since lifelong learning systems need to provide training for adults throughout their careers, so that they can move to other jobs as automation progresses or avoid being displaced from jobs that will be profoundly transformed,” the OECD states. “Governments need to put the right incentives and mechanisms in place to engage employers, social partners and other stakeholders to share the costs.”

Source:: http://www2.staffingindustry.com/row/Editorial/Daily-News/World-Governments-should-step-up-their-efforts-to-upskill-workers-in-a-digital-world-OECD-49883