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It is said that the half-life of skills in many sectors – the time it takes half your skills and knowledge to become obsolete – is now just five years or even less. What can people do to stay up to date and relevant in the workforce?
New generations, new workplace
The workplace, and indeed the workforce, is constantly evolving, says Sinead D’Arcy, head of the Jameson international graduate programme at Irish Distillers. “In today’s changing work context, it is important for employers and employees alike to be aware of how long someone’s learned skills are still relevant. As such, our knowledge and skills need to continue to grow and expand as we adapt to change throughout our careers.
“New generations, namely millennials and centennials, entering the workforce over the last decade triggered an evolution in the workplace. The Covid-19 pandemic has further transformed this workplace evolution into a revolution. New trends will emerge and continue to evolve, and as employers and employees we need to be open to continuous learning and embracing new skills and perspectives.”
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Half-life of skills
Context is important when considering the half-life of skills, says Dr Kimberly Fitzgerald, learning design behavioural specialist with the Irish Management Institute (IMI) learning design team. “There are often immediate learning needs and ‘skill-fade’ that can take place if the timing and application of learning are not in sync with individual and organisational requirements,” she says.
“For instance, with the increasing expansion of technical solutions due to digital disruption and adaptation, it appears to be that particular skills are experiencing decreasing life spans. The way to mitigate against this is to ensure that what are understood as soft skills are adapted to manage the fast-paced change. Skills such as adaptability, resilience and flexibility are key to circumventing the speed at which technical solutions are implemented.”
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Exponential technological change and the investment in these technologies by organisations has had a large impact on many industries, and what a typical day looks like for employees in these industries, says Cathy Balfe, career coach with Career Coach Me. “Technology is still experiencing exponential growth and the impact of this advancement will continue to exert an influence over many of our working lives well into the future. Some occupations have experienced more disruption than others, for example, the automation of manufacturing has had a huge impact on the day-to-day tasks of those working in the manufacturing industry.
“Looking to the future, some occupations are expected to be heavily impacted by anticipated technological advances. For example, autonomous driving might hugely decrease demand for lorry drivers, taxi drivers and delivery drivers.”
Staying ahead of the game
When we think of career-building, we sometimes focus only on developing knowledge, skills and key competencies, but it is also important to incorporate the need to build connections, says D’Arcy. “Building your network so it is there to learn from and lean on when needed is a key building block to a successful career. This links to being aware of, and consciously building, a solid personal brand. Ultimately, keeping an open mind and remaining willing and motivated to learn, evolve and connect will ensure continued career success.”
Taking a shortcut
Short courses provide solutions to immediate concerns and this is described as just-in-time learning, says Dr Fitzgerald. “This is beneficial for upskilling and has relevance in relation to future-proofing a career. Engaging in continuous learning in the workplace and through the engagement in more formal types of learning ensures a workforce that is up to speed with rapid change.”
Lifelong learning
People must continue to engage in learning, says Michelle Kinsella, senior learning designer with IMI’s learning design team. “As human beings, we are constantly moving and changing, and learning both formally and informally is part of that process. Individuals can ensure that they continuously develop what are known as transversal skills, in other words, develop skills that are varied and wide-ranging; these skills are not specifically related to a particular role, task, discipline or domain of knowledge, but rather are essential skills that can be applied to any task in multifarious situations and organisations.
“A good example of a transversal skill is problem-solving for instance; this is a skill that can be developed and applied to any situation. In order to develop these skills, individuals and organisations must foster intellectual humility both at a personal level and at a much broader organisational level.”
Engaging in continuous learning in the workplace as well as more formal types of learning ensures a workforce that is up to speed with rapid change, says Vania Rocha, digital learning designer with the IMI learning design team. “This is not to diminish the importance, however, of those higher qualifications such as professional diploma and masters programmes, whereby learning happens at a much greater depth through the facilitation of time to think and time to explore that a longer programme provides.”
Potential future careers
Technological change is hugely disruptive for some occupations, and skills specialised within these occupations may become obsolete quite quickly, says Balfe. On the other hand, some occupations are less affected by technological change and skills developed in these professions have not become obsolete in the same way – for example, teachers, medical professionals and tradespeople.
“I think there is a tendency for people to be wary about technological change, but technological progress has been the biggest factor behind wage growth in previous decades, as investments in technology have increased the productivity of workers and their wages. Employment levels have also stayed high in the face of technological progress, because even though technology has reduced demand for some occupations, it increased demand for other occupations.
“Demand increased for workers able to maintain and operate these new technologies, and increased demand for workers in other occupations such as marketing, finance, or IT. There is also a spillover effect, as higher productivity has increased demand for labour-intensive goods and services like restaurants and home improvements.”
Dr Fitzgerald says that while keeping up to date with current changes in the field or sector that you are involved in is paramount in future-proofing a career, self-development is key to ensuring that you are developing the transversal skills necessary for optimising opportunities and responding to challenges that come your way.