The world is going through a technological revolution, with technology replacing human tasks and changing the skills organisations need. Digitalisation and the COVID-19 pandemic have further increased the need for certain skills in many aspects of people's daily lives and for business continuity. These skills do not only include digital skills, but also socio-emotional skills such as resilience, creative thinking and problem solving.
The modern business world is changing, and the new emerging technologies, such as automation, are doing three things: creating brand new roles, adapting roles to suit this new environment, and removing roles that are no longer required. COVID-19 has also rapidly accelerated the need for digital transformation, and has also shifted demand and supply of jobs across different sectors. This is leading to increasing disparity, disrupting jobs and businesses. Upskilling initiatives should therefore not only focus on technical literacy, but look at what human skills are required in today’s digital age. Upskilling and reskilling is therefore a critical initiative which needs to be addressed.
PwC is committed to highlighting the issues surrounding the digital divide and the socio-economic benefits of greater private-public collaboration on upskilling and reskilling. There’s a lot more to do to create more diverse, inclusive, and productive workplaces that allow everyone to give their best.
PwC is leading the way in terms of bringing the topic of Upskilling to the agenda of businesses, educational institutions and policy makers. Throughout the last year we have therefore been engaging with different stakeholders in Malta including Government, businesses and social partners to encourage a call for action in relation to upskilling and reskilling. We have also issued thought leadership through the form of articles, dedicated an episode of our very own podcast PwC Malta’s Trend Talks entitled “Upskilling for the Future” and delivered upskilling programmes to a variety of private and public entities. We also continue to support private and public sector organisations in developing robust Competency Frameworks which are aligned with the skills needed in this increasingly digital world.
We are pleased to note that the recently announced National Employment Policy issued by the Ministry for Finance and Employment reflects our call for action on upskilling. This aims to equip Maltese workers with the necessary skills to safeguard their future employability. This enhanced skills priority is further evident in the allocation of €2 million for national upskilling initiatives, announced during the Malta Budget announced on 11th October, 2021.
