This research arose from work commissioned by the Australian Industry and Skills Committee - in the form of a cross sector project looking at the need for digital skills in a range of manufacturing and related industries. The project was managed by IBSA Manufacturing, a Skills Service Organisation, which provides support to the following Industry Reference Committees (IRCs): Aerospace; Furnishing; Manufacturing and Engineering; Process Manufacturing, Recreational Vehicles and Laboratory; Sustainability; and Textiles, Clothing and Footwear. During the course of the project, national consultations were undertaken with more than 40 representatives from large (often multinational) businesses, small and medium businesses, unions, training providers and other VET sector stakeholders., Many of the individuals involved in the consultations raised questions about how well the VET sector was prepared for the substantial digital changes impacting on the workforce and the manufacturing sector in particular. They questioned whether Training Packages were sufficiently flexible to meet the needs of the manufacturing sector as it responds to growing levels of digital disruption (or what has been termed the 4th Industrial Revolution, or Industry 4.0). The research undertaken to support the project, also identified a vastly greater number of reports and papers focussed on the challenge of upskilling workers for an Industry 4.0 environment, than in relation to the need for specific digital skills for manufacturing and related workers. This report synthesises the research evidence - in relation to both digital skills and the broader challenges of skilling workers for the Industry 4.0 workplace.

This report explores the rapid acceleration of digital technologies, combined with the compression of change and the impact this is having on the jobs and skills needed for Australia's future workforce. The report is based on the ING research survey conducted by YouGov in April 2020. The sample comprises 1,005 Australians aged 18+ years distributed throughout Australia. It also features an introduction by futurist Anders Sorman-Nilsson who proposes that the evidence uncovers key workplace trends and in-demand jobs and skills, suggesting there is a Second Renaissance emerging, filled with new opportunities.

A truly successful skills system could bring vast benefits to Northern Ireland and Scotland. Both are on the cusp of significant changes, as the impact of automation and technological change combines with an ageing population. This could carry significant dividends, driving productivity and boosting economic growth, and bringing new opportunities for individuals and employers. But there are also big risks. As jobs are reshaped by new technology, people who do not have the right skills risk being unable to obtain secure, well-paying work or even being pushed out of the labour market altogether. Technological and demographic change could narrow social inequalities, if we prepare and respond correctly. The skills system must be at the heart of readying our societies to seize these new opportunities successfully and mitigate the risks.

This report provides a snapshot of the policy actions being taken by OECD, EU and G20 countries in response to growing diversity in forms of employment, with the aim of encouraging peer learning where countries are facing similar issues. It shows that many countries are reflecting on whether existing policies and institutions are capable of addressing effectively the current (and future) challenges of a rapidly changing world of work. In recent years, many countries have seen the emergence of, and/or growth in, particular labour contract types that diverge from the standard employment relationship (i.e. full-time dependent employment of indefinite duration). These include temporary and casual contracts, as well as own-account work and platform work. Several countries have also seen growth in false self-employment, where employers seek to evade tax and regulatory dues and obligations. These changes are driving policy makers worldwide to review how policies in different areas – labour market, skills development, social protection – can best respond. How can policymakers balance the flexibility offered by a diversity of employment contracts, on the one hand, with protection for workers and businesses, on the other?

With the pressure of a changing labor market and a precarious economic culture, a trend of freelance or self-employment has been on the rise and is becoming widely referred to as the 'gig economy'. The rapid shift towards the gig economy is visible on both a micro and macro level. On a consumer level, a choice to take an Uber to work versus a taxi cab is one example of how people are utilizing this model. Within a corporation, it could be a decision to shift from using in-house [information technology IT to enlisting the services of a freelance software developer in order to create a new Web site. While popular examples like Uber and TaskRabbit may first come to mind, the gig economy reaches far beyond our favorite phone apps with up to 57.3 million workers participating in 2017. Particularly with advances in technology, this allowing millions of people around the globe to opt for greater independence in their work lives., Whether someone is completely dedicated as an independent contractor or dabbling outside of their full-time position, the gig environment has evolved and expanded its opportunities over the years as a result of increased mobility and the rising digital age. Gig opportunities and platforms range from crowd sourcing, app or web-based bidding and task-based work activities, to the demand for outsourced providers with special skills. For example, crowd sourcing invites organizations or individuals to access an online platform to outsource tasks to registered members. Others tap into the gig economy through advanced freelancer platforms which allow individuals to set up a profile, bid on jobs relevant to their skills, and set their rates utilizing a mobile bidding platform. With the benefits as a result of this new dynamic, though, comes new challenges for many organizations entrenched in the war for talent. To better understand the talent implications and proactive solutions organizations should be considering, it is important to first answer a few key questions: Who makes up the gig economy, why does it continue to grow, and where is it headed?

This report combines a survey of more than 1,000 C-Suite employers in the UK, with data and analysis of the British economy, to raise a number of important issues about skills challenges facing employers and how they can be tackled. This research aims to give some context and pointers to where future demand is likely to be, so that those currently grappling with these issues can have a more solid basis for doing so. It also provides practical recommendations for employers, Government and the education sector to help combat skills gaps and shortages.

The purpose of this report is to focus on mismatch problems in manufacturing labor markets. This report lays out several frictions that keep qualified and available American workers from becoming hired by American manufacturers and puts forth ideas for both manufacturers and the public sector to make the marriages between qualified workers and best-fit jobs happen and work. As such, this report is not focused on measuring or analyzing skills shortages or proposing new ways to build a workforce skilled for twenty-first century manufacturing jobs. Thus, 'mismatches' in this report do not refer to 'skills mismatches' where workers do not have skills employers want, as they do in some studies; rather, mismatches in this report mean settings where available workers are not being easily and optimally sorted into best-fit jobs.

Swinburne’s Centre for the New Workforce has released a report on the future of work .The report shows workers recognise the need to capitalise on their human qualities to avoid being displaced by technology. The report makes recommendations for government, education institutions, employers and individuals

Effective skills development requires stakeholders from industry, trade unions, the education sector and national and regional governments to work together to build responsive and inclusive skills systems. However, bringing together stakeholders in the skills system is not easy. The government, the education sector and industry have conflicting priorities when it comes to education and skills, as well as different ways of working. Nevertheless, stakeholders in the skills system can work together to tackle skills gaps and improve economic outcomes for citizens and industry. In this report, we focus on how to 'build a resilient labour market system that can adapt to changes in skills demand'. This requires all stakeholders involved - the education sector, unions, industry, government and civil society - to work together in cross-sector partnerships. However, in many European countries, the stakeholders in the skills system do not collaborate enough. As a result, increasing collaboration between these stakeholders is a priority at the national, European and international level. To produce this report, we used qualitative research to gather insight and case studies from key stakeholders in the skills system in Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Estonia, the Netherlands and Belgium (referred to throughout as the Nordic and Benelux region). Specifically, this report addresses the question, 'How can the government, industry, the education sector and other key stakeholders work together to address digital skills gaps?'. To answer this, we draw on research and experience from our two programmes in the Nordic and Benelux region. Digital Frontrunners is a network of senior policymakers, experts and practitioners working to develop innovative approaches to tackling labour market challenges. FutureFit is a major training and research project. In partnership with some of Northern Europe's largest trade unions, leading researchers, employers and adult learning experts, the project is focused on creating an effective adult learning system to help tackle inequality and social exclusion. This report provides recommendations on how to build effective partnerships. The strategies presented here are practical and tailored to the fact that readers might find themselves at different stages of collaboration. Each recommendation comes with an example of how it could be implemented in practice.