FIBK Voices
More Connected and Better Trained Professionals
FIBK
One of the main forces that will shape the future of work is the evolution of professionals, increasingly concerned about their training and permanently connected.
Work is evolving towards new models and new type of professionals, and two token trends illustrate this:
1.- Rise of freelancers and digital nomads, and local, regional and national initiatives to attract them. This movement is becoming so relevant that the phrase Zoom towns has been coined to describe locations that appeal professionals due to their high quality of life and appealing housing prices. These locations can reactivate and diversify their economy through this process. There is an exemplary initiative by Nacho Rodríguez, FTF expert and founder of repeople.co. He is on a mission to repopulate communities where talent has been draining for decades due to lack of job opportunities, by creating ecosystems for digital nomads in the Canary islands.
2.- Boom of gig job platforms. Digital nomads and freelancers in general, use digital platforms to offer their services and interact among them. In Spain, there are generalist platforms such as Malt, Freelancer or Corner Job and other more specialized, such as Cuideo, in the space of care for the elderly.
These two realities have impact on, and the need for lifelong learning. There is a grand opportunity to support disenfranchised communities, promote inclusion and equal opportunities. This is supported by our FTF experts Cristina Aranda, cofounder of MujeresTech and Arantxa Balson, cofounder and CEO of IN4IMPACT.
Why is lifelong learning necessary?
It is estimated that 85% of jobs in 2030 do not exist today. The pace of change is so quick that people will learn “on the go”, using new technologies such as augmented reality and virtual reality.
The ability to learn new things will be more valuable than knowledge itself.
In fact, this ability to learn new things is the second most important professional skill going forward, according to the World Economic Forum (WEF).
Jeff Selingo, FTF expert and strategic advisor to universities around the world about innovation, shared the 14 most demanded skills in the Digital Economy, based on data by Burning Glass Technologies:
You can watch Jeff Selingo’s speech at the Future Trends Forum here:
On top of the need to up-skill and re-skill in technology and business, the so-called soft or social skills (such as empathy, communication, teamwork or critical thinking) must be encouraged. They are more relevant now than ever before: 97% of employers think social skills are as important, or more, than technical skills or know-how.
