Covid-19 Pandemic has been an eye opener in many ways. Amongst many things that this crisis taught us, one was learning and accepting alternate ways of doing work, to stay relevant. Even before the pandemic, there were discussions around Artificial Intelligence (AI) automating most of the work, leaving people jobless. However, it is important to understand that non routine interaction is at the heart of human advantage over machines. While AI is most likely to automate skills, it is not likely to make people jobless.

In a workplace, we generally use three types of skills-  Repetitive Skills- the skills involving manual tasks and similar processes. Quantitative Skills- the ones involving numbers, algorithms etc. Functional skills– skills involving creativity, people skills, innovation etc. While the demand for jobs involving repetitive skills, which can be performed by machines, are likely to decline; the jobs involving quantitative and functional skills will still be very much in demand (WDR, 2019).

Hence, the unskilled and the ones with low skills need to upskill or reskill themselves to continue to be a part of the workforce. A reskilling revolution, with the combined efforts of workers, organizations and governments to up-skill these at risk workers, is the need of the hour. Having this proactive approach, will ensure we are prepared for the changes, which we all can foresee.

The Skills which are currently in demand and are likely to remain so in the coming times:

1. Tech savviness – Cloud developers, experts who can work with Virtual and Augmented Reality.
2. Data Analysis– Volume, variation, and reliability of data can be used to bring out valuable insights.
3. Creativity & Innovation– Post pandemic we have understood the reality of the VUCA (Volatile, Uncertain, Complex and Ambiguous) world. To understand problems existing in the society and provide innovative solutions for the same.
4. Emotional Intelligence– Turbulent times call for poised, emotionally intelligent leaders who can not only understand the concerns of the employees but also address them effectively.
5. Commitment to Lifelong Learning- Clearly people who acknowledged the need to acquire new skills remained relevant even in these turbulent times.

Author: Dr. Bindiya Gupta, Associate Professor – Unitedworld School of Business (UWSB)