Technology-Enabled Innovations in the Skills and Employment Ecosystem (2020)

This paper outlines places where technology can provide or is providing innovative approaches in the skills and employment ecosystem. It also details the ways in which technology can address the skills gap, including its potential for enhancing skills development and helping organizations improve and adapt.

Introduction

"Much has been written about the impact of disruptive technology on the future of work, most of it focusing on the jobs that will be changed, replaced and created and the extent to which supply and demand will be altered. But technology-driven innovation also has the potential to address aspects of the so-called skills gap. There are opportunities to harness the power of data analytics, artificial intelligence, mobile communications and virtual and augmented reality to assess skills, develop skills, better align supply and demand and create more inclusive, productive and healthy workplaces. There are many new and emerging models of learning and training that improve access, diversity and the quality of skills development and training as well as the practices of employers. While not all innovations in skills development and training are dependent on technology, this paper will outline places where technology can or is providing innovative approaches in the skills/employment ecosystem.

This paper reviews some of the research examining the potential of technology to address the skills gap, including its potential for enhancing skills development and also building the capacity of organizations to adapt to change. Illustrated with real world examples from across sectors and around the world, this paper also reviews how technology is being used to improve access, and diversity and workplace inclusivity amongst equity-seeking groups.

Increasingly organizations are turning to tools to assist in creating more inclusive workplaces. Systems such as Diversio enable people to assess their own practices and access leading ones. Technologies are also being used within organizations to provide support for employee health and well-being based on the notion that happy employees are productive employees and that the costs of turnover are high. Tools that regularly assess employee effectiveness for example are emerging as alternatives to annual employee engagement surveys, allowing granular analysis of challenges and interventions. Additionally, there are a host of assistive technologies and nudge tools aimed at providing employees with accommodations and support.

The preliminary portion of the paper will proceed as follows:

1. Overview of the literature on the uses of technology (i.e., to improve access and effectiveness), including an examination of opportunities in the skills ecosystem and a review of technologically enabled learning and diversity and inclusion outcomes;
2. A technology review;
3. A review of implementation challenges; and
4. Further areas of research."

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