Many people in the UK are working differently as a result of the disruption of the last two years.
Workers in desk based, office jobs will have been working from home much more – and may continue doing so, either permanently, or part time. These same workers will have been using technology differently too, probably spending more time on video calls than in face-to-face meetings. Many businesses, small and large, will have invested in new technology and software to replicate or recreate the processes that used to take place in one office building, but now happen more disparately.
Workers in other kinds of jobs will also have experienced disruption. Retail workers are likely to have seen more technology in their working lives, whether through automated checkouts, more online shopping or contactless payments. Even teachers and healthcare workers – professions that have depended on face to face contact for hundreds of years – will have been changed by digital technology, with teachers delivering lessons and lectures online, and healthcare workers conducting initial or follow up appointments virtually.
Covid-accelerated shifts
These are all examples of how the landscape of work is continuously changing. Covid has meant change has accelerated over the past two years, but jobs – and the skills we require to perform them – will evolve further over the next few years as trends in automation continue to move forwards.
By 2030, five key shifts will have transformed the skills landscape of the UK. These shifts have impacts for individuals and businesses, but also for learning institutions, which must adapt to the changing needs of the economy.
This new report for Arden University explores this changing landscape of jobs and skills in the UK, looking forward to 2030 to ask three key questions:
- What does the landscape of Jobs and Skills look like in 2030?
- What are the trends that will drive this change?
- How prepared are we now for this change?