Data on how local labour markets are going to change have been published today by the Department for Education.
A number of megatrends are expected to shape the world of work in the future. These include Brexit and the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as longer-term trends such as the adoption of technology in the labour market, and major demographic and environmental change. These are expected to change the role of workers, both in terms of the jobs available and the skills needed to do them.
Understanding what types of skills will be needed most for work in the future, and how this demand will be met, is essential. However, this is not currently well understood. The National Foundation for Educational Research’s (NFER) The Skills Imperative 2035: Essential skills for tomorrow's workforce research programme, which is funded by the Nuffield Foundation, is exploring the nature of this transformation and its implications for the future workforce. Our aim is to engage with politicians, policy makers, industry and education leaders to better understand the scale of the challenge and to make effective plans to ensure the future workforce has the essential skills needed.
