Co-funded by the European Union

Skills strategies for a sustainable world of work: a joint publication WBCSD and GAN

  • The publication looked into questions such as “What is the risk of not addressing skills mismatches?”, “How to prepare a corporate skills strategy?”
  • The 16 case studies are key to understand the business case for upskilling

The World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) and the Global Apprenticeship Network (GAN Global) have just launched a guide for Chief Human Resource Officers (CHROs) on skills strategies for a sustainable world of work.

Filippo Veglio, Managing Director People & Society at WBCSD, that is a global, CEO-led organisation of over 200 leading businesses working together to accelerate the transition to a sustainable world, referred to “Work is the engine at the centre of our economies and skills are its most important ingredient. This guide brings to life the importance of skills development strategies in future-proofing businesses while simultaneously creating a more sustainable future of work.”

Nazrene Mannie, Executive Director of Global Apprenticeship Network (GAN), that is a global, business-driven alliance through which private sector companies, employers’ organisations, international organisations and thought leaders work together to shape agile and responsive workforce development using work-based learning as a key driver, underlined the need to develop the right skills and to build the enabling framework for upskilling. “It is clear that we are experiencing a time of uncertainty and rapid digitalisation and the need to address the mismatch between the supply and demand of skills and ensuring people have the right skills to be employable is more urgent than ever. The guide aims at helping to address this challenge and as a mechanism to guide business leaders to create a strong skills development strategy linked to business value and societal impact.

The need for such an approach has been promoted by new and emerging technologies, socio-economic developments, and disruptive events like Covid-19”.

She continues, “Without the right skills, workers, in particular those from disadvantaged groups (women, young, ethnic minorities, low-skilled workers), will find it more and more difficult to find the work they need to earn a living for themselves and their families, fulfil their aspirations and ultimately live well. Even before Covid-19, business leaders were concerned about finding, keeping, and developing the talent needed for the modern world, and as we begin to recover from the pandemic, many businesses will lack the relevant skills needed to succeed in the new world of work. This brings Human Resource (HR) executives into the ‘eye of the storm’, reinforcing their strategic role in ensuring business continuity, resilience and growth while contributing to a future where both business and society don’t just react and adapt to disruption, but thrive”.

The guide is structured around three chapters:

  • Part 1 describes the main factors driving changes in the world of work;
  • Part 2 presents the skills mismatch as a key challenge for business and society and highlights the risks of not addressing it;
  • Part 3 indicates how to develop a forward-looking skills strategy.

When explaining the context, the paper refers to “Sustainable skills development can be described as the process of building the necessary skills for an organisation in a way that enables the workforce to constantly adapt to the shifting nature of work over a long period of time. For the purposes of this guide, upskilling is defined as an organisation’s clear intent to develop the employability and capabilities of its employees’ or potential future talent, and to advance and progress their technical, soft and digital skills”.

Key takeaways from the guide are the following:

  • Businesses have a responsibility to build and develop the skills of their workers and future talent, and an opportunity to positively transform people’s lives and to contribute to society;
  • Disruptions to the world of work (technology, socio-economic changes and critical events like Covid-19) have reinforced the strategic role of Human Resources executives to take leadership on the upskilling agenda, making a significant contribution to driving business priorities in a sustainable way.
  • CHROs must take action to develop a skill strategy and make sure that it fits into the overall workforce strategy. 

The guide lists the five steps organisations typically take to develop their skills strategy, including on how to manage the communication or measuring the success of an upskilling programme. 

The report then presents real-life experiences from a range of organisations and 16 case studies, that are intended to help business leaders to better value skills development strategy creates for business growth while simultaneously generating positive value for people and society.

A key business benefit of sustainable skills development is that it empowers individuals to grow and contribute to the success of the company by helping them to transform their skillset as the company and its demand for skills transforms. In 2020, 93% of CEOs who had introduced upskilling programs said these programs increased productivity, helped attract and retain talent, and helped deliver a resilient workforce. However, only 18% of CEOs surveyed stated they had invested in upskilling; the opportunity for those who haven’t yet made the investment is significant”.