Building new skills for a fast-changing world of work

Posted 10/11/2016

Automation, artificial intelligence and robotics are developing at speed. Just this week, scientists at Oxford University revealed that they’ve developed a machine that can lip-read better than a human. From improved hearing aids to biometric identification – this new AI system has enormous potential.

Developments like this have put the labour market into a period of transition. We’re in a fast-moving world of work, and skills which are highly valuable right now might not hold the same value in a few years’ time.

However, this doesn’t mean there will be fewer jobs. It means there will be different jobs. Some skill sets will become redundant, but others will thrive and new skills will emerge too.

Through this period of transition and beyond, it’s important that workers build new skills that will help them stay relevant and employable. That’s exactly what we’ve been doing at ManpowerGroup – both in the UK and around the world. We’ve been helping people nurture learnability throughout their career journey, so they can build new skills for a fast-changing world of work.

Here’s four of the ways we’re helping individuals re-skill and up-skill:

Advancing careers through coaching, development and degrees

In the US, we’re working in partnership with Western International University to help our workers achieve college degrees, at no personal cost and while they work. This has helped 122,000 individuals increase their earning potential in the last two years. In fact, nearly two-thirds have seen their pay increase by 50-75% from their first to most recent job. At the same time, they’ve been able to balance employment and learning commitments at a pace that works with their busy lives.

Up-skilling 60,000 people in France

In France, we deliver assessment and training opportunities for more than 60,000 individuals through our FuturSkill brand. Added to this, our Bridge to Work programme is helping unemployed individuals get back into the workplace. We’re training them in soft and hard skills, how to take assessments, and how to use learning management system software. We’re proud that 90% of candidates on this programme have been placed into work – in roles ranging from IT helpdesk technicians to customer service representatives.

90% score top jobs on our tailored IT programme

Last year in India, our Experis brand trained 1,000 graduates in IT skills – helping them to build new skills such as testing, Java and mainframe skills. Working with our client, a top Fortune 500 technology company, we developed a tailored curriculum and intensive boot-camp training. Some of the participants were new graduates; others were experienced professionals looking to re-skill and make lateral moves. Impressively, 90% went on to work for our client.

Manpower UK’s 18 year journey with Jaguar Land Rover

In the UK, our partnership with Jaguar Land Rover has been running for over 18 years. In the last five, we have supported 7,000 people into work while they up-skill and achieve formal qualifications to NVQ Level 2. More than 600 of them were 18-24 year-olds who were not in education, employment or training (NEET). They’re now equipped with in-demand skills and enhanced earning potential.

To find out more about how ManpowerGroup is doing well by doing good, download our 2016 Sustainability Report.

Mark Cahill

Mark Cahill is Managing Director of ManpowerGroup in the UK, a Regional Managing Director of ManpowerGroup Northern Europe, and European leader for RPO and for TAPFIN, ManpowerGroup’s MSP and vendor neutral solution. As Managing Director, he is responsible for the UK’s conception and delivery of industry-leading workforce solutions to clients and candidates to succeed. He is also responsible for driving the company’s Managed Service Programme (MSP) and Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO) offerings in Europe. A 29-year veteran of ManpowerGroup, Mark was previously Chief Executive of Brook Street, and has held roles such as Financial Director and Managing Director of the ManpowerGroup-owned company. Mark also performs an advisory role influencing government and agency bodies, and regularly contributes to industry-wide discussions. In 2014 he was appointed Chairman of the CBI’s London Council, following several years of active participation.