Businesses need to upskill Gen Z and Alpha for the future of work, says metatalent.ai

The World Economic Forum has estimated that 150 million new technology jobs will be created globally over the next five years, and 77% of all jobs will require digital skills from workers by 2030. However, businesses currently face a global shortage of digital skills, with only 33% of technology jobs worldwide filled by the necessary skilled labour.

Half of today’s organisations agree that this ‘digital divide’ is widening, with 54% of business leaders noting that they have lost their competitive advantage due to talent shortages, according to a recent global survey by Capgemini and LinkedIn.

“This global digital skills gap urgently needs addressing,” says Rehan Haque, CEO of metatalent.ai. “Too many young people are ill-prepared for the jobs of the future, due to a lack of exposure to the digital tools and skills needed for the future of work. To prepare for the adoption of advanced emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, blockchain, virtual reality and more, organisations need to train the next generation of their workforce through the use of digital skills training and mentoring.

“Generation Z and Generation Alpha will make up around a quarter of the UK workforce by the end of this decade, and nine in ten of their jobs will require digital skills as a minimum. The most immediate challenge for today’s businesses is how to empower these emerging generations with the tools they need for the future of the work. Providing employable skills training for the future workforce is critical for businesses to keep up with the increasing demand for digital skills over the next decade.

“The challenge of global upskilling needs to be urgently addressed. Too many organisations don’t understand the skills their current and future workers will need in the evolving digital economy. Organisations need to future-proof themselves for the rapid technological changes ahead over the next decade by enrolling workers in digital upskilling and reskilling programmes, providing their workforce with the education, technical knowledge, skills and resources needed to thrive in future working environments.

“An upskilling mentorship platform targeting the future of work not only helps today’s businesses to directly identify skills gaps in their current workforce, but it also helps them to equip their current and future workforce with skills-based training for the new and emerging job categories of tomorrow. It is imperative businesses take these steps now before it becomes too late. Without digital skills training and guidance for young workers across all sectors, organisations are sure to be left behind as technology continues to evolve past them.”