The World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report 2020 has just been released and is required reading for anyone in the job market today. The report paints a vivid picture of the future of work and documents the industries which are experiencing the greatest job growth and also the areas facing contraction.
2020 has been a critical year in many respects, with millions of workers around the world finding themselves out of a job or in an uncertain employment situation as a result of the pandemic. The coronavirus has caused enormous disruption in the normal rhythm of people’s working lives and drastically altered the route that many people saw their career path taking.
One thing that the pandemic has not affected is the trend towards workplace automation, which is occurring even faster than predicted. The Report estimates that this will result in the loss of 85 million jobs in the next five years. Continued technological advances, coupled with the more recent need for social distancing, have meant that machines and computers are taking over more jobs. According to the WEF Report, in five years, work will be divided roughly fifty-fifty between humans and machines.
However, the Report also shows that the automation revolution will create more jobs than it will displace, with 97 million new jobs entering the labour market in a variety of new areas. To help you prepare for the coming shift, Alison has put together a series of free online courses that will equip you with the skills necessary to thrive in the jobs of tomorrow.
New skills
According to the Future of Jobs Report, by 2025, “analytical thinking, creativity, and flexibility will be among the most sought-after skills.”
- Analytical Thinking – This course will teach you everything you need to know about problem-solving and thinking critically in the workplace.
- Creativity – Learn how to generate new concepts and build fresh ideas.
- Flexibility – Manage your time successfully and be ready for whatever your workday throws at you.
The Report also notes that newly emerging sought-after skills this year are “self-management, active learning, resilience and stress tolerance.”
- Self Management – Being able to motivate yourself is critical when it comes to Self-Management. This course will instruct you on how to always guarantee you give 100% at work.
- Active Learning – Learn how to adopt a Growth Mindset and apply it to your learning.
- Resilience – Positive Psychology is crucial if you’re to stay above water during stressful and trying situations.
- Stress Tolerance – This diploma teaches you coping mechanisms to help you to deal with whatever stress your job might generate.
New Jobs
The Future of Jobs Report has identified a variety of areas that are going to see a boom in job opportunities over the next five years. Below we highlight the best courses to give you a headstart and help you succeed in these areas.
- Content Creation – Jobs in writing content are growing faster than ever, particularly as businesses expand their social media presence.
- Green Economy Jobs – From wind to solar to hydroelectric power, Alison can help you find a job in any of the future green sectors.
- AI Economy – This course looks at how AI can be used to solve problems that result in a real economic benefit.
- Engineering – Alison offers a wide range of engineering courses, ranging from traditional sectors to the industries of the future.
- Cloud Computing – This course will teach you everything you need to know about online computing infrastructure for both hardware and software applications.
- Product Development – This free online course takes you through the stages of the product management cycle from idea generation to launch.
- Care Economy – From clinical skills to diet therapy, Alison’s nursing courses will help you advance regardless of your speciality!
- Sales and Marketing – Some sectors never go out of fashion. Alison has courses on Marketing Ethics, Sales Strategies and everything in between.
- Roles working with people from different backgrounds – This Human Resources course looks at workplace diversity and working in the globalised world of today.
One of the key take-aways from the report is that “for workers set to remain in their roles over the next five years, nearly half will need retraining for their core skills.” Upskilling and retraining are not going to be optional in the workplaces of tomorrow. Alison’s learners are already a step ahead of the competition, and the above courses will help you distinguish yourself even further.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the final point in the report is that “remote work is here to stay”. The move from office to home isn’t showing any sign of reversing in the near future. To help you adapt to and thrive in the world of remote work, Alison has assembled a Working From Home Toolkit, which aims to help you transition seamlessly to working from home, regardless of your career.
