It is no surprise to hear the difficulties the US workforce is having in the wake of COVID-19. Between the news, friends, and family, many are seeing a loss of jobs unprecedented in modern times. According to the 2021 Manufacturing Talent study from Deloitte and the Manufacturing Institute (MI), “about 570,000 jobs still remain unfilled.”[1] We are at a crossroads in how jobs and work will be viewed and completed. On one hand, we can go back to doing what we have done, but according to the Manufacturing Talent study, “the majority of survey respondents said that finding the right talent is now 36% harder than it was in 2018.”[1] This is only from one sector of the job market, but it is reflective across the board. Attracting and keeping trusted workers looms large at the precipice of the American job market. With the pandemic displacing many workers in the hospitality and food industries, many are questioning and wondering what can be done to draw out those workers to move them into other industries that are so badly looking for entry and mid-level jobs. To put this in perspective, the gap we are seeing in manufacturing could “leave as many as 2.1 million jobs unfilled by 2030, according to the study, which is concerning because manufacturing has the highest multiplier effect of any economic sector; ‘For every $1.00 spent in manufacturing, another $2.74 is added to the economy. Leaving open jobs unfilled in manufacturing could bring a potential negative impact to the U.S. economy of more than $1 trillion by 2030 alone.” [1] Dire numbers and statistics tell us that governments, businesses, and industries need to make a change in order to adequately prepare for the future that awaits.
The Future of Work in 2030
We live in a future where transformation is required. No longer can workers be trained once and be set until retirement. A PWC report from 2018 looked at the workforce of the future and though this study was looking at a world not ravaged by a global pandemic, their findings still hold true. The belief of “to be prepared for the future, you have to understand it,” requires us to look at how organizations are looking at people. [2] The PWC report broke down the work of 2030 into four worlds:
The Red World is where innovation reigns supreme! The diversity of ideas and businesses are all about personalization and serving those niches. Being at the forefront also means the risks of regulation could result in a court case.
The Blue World is where corporate capitalism shouts that bigger is better. Size and influence will beat out the competition but has the potential to also box out social responsibility.
The Green World is where workers and consumers demand that corporations listen and act to moral values, a responsibility to the environment, and see the humanity in each person. Companies will have more than just financial responsibilities at the end of the day. Trust is the guiding factor and a belief in the common good drives everyone’s success.
The Yellow World is where the human experience is valued and required for the greatest success for workers, communities, and corporations. There is a search for meaning from all the parties with a focus on ethical and blameless brands.
Planning for the Future
How do we plan with the outlook of these worlds? We adapt. Adaptability is the key to the future for workers and organizations and being willing to retrain, gain additional skills, and acquire new experiences will allow greater growth across the board. Blair Sheppard, Global Leader, Strategy and Leadership Development at PwC says, “We should remember that intellectual complacency is not our friend and that learning – not just new things but new ways of thinking – is a life-long endeavor.” [2] Organizations and government agencies can help by
easing access to new training and retraining
encouraging employees to adapt and
valuing leadership, creativity, and innovation
In a PwC survey of 10,029 members, 74% said they “are ready to learn new skills or completely retrain in order to remain employable in the future.” [2] The workforce is willing and ready to learn new skills. Do you have the resources available to help them be successful? Is your organization ready to morph and change into the future? In a rapidly changing terrain, government and company resources must reflect the latest information and technology. The US Federal Government allocated over $3.6 billion of its funding towards Training and Employment Services in 2021 to support workforce development across the country. With 84% of Governors agreeing that workforce development is a top priority, agencies like Michigan Works! Southeast partner with Amesite to deliver upskilling solutions. Amesite is working to partner with as many of these agencies as possible across the nation. Partnering with a company with AI at the core, alongside advanced data analytics, will put you ahead of your competition and prepare your employees for the future.
Key aspects of an ideal online learning platform that can easily teach and train are:
Easily accessible and scalable around the world
Flexible and hyper-focused on relevant courses for workers looking to hone skills
Turnkey systems that are ready to be used with no learning curve
Efficiency in using advanced and AI technology
Organizations and companies that are deliberate in their approach to educate and train their teams will be prepared for the world of the future, no matter what that may look like.
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