References
This database has been compiled to provide a searchable repository on published research addressing “future skills” that will be a useful tool for researchers and individuals interested in the future of work and the future of skills.
The database integrates existing bibliographies focused on future skills and the future of work as well as the results of new ProQuest and Google Scholar searches. The process of building the database also involved consultations with experts and the identification of key research organizations publishing in this area, as well as searches of those organizations’ websites. For a more detailed explanation of how the database was assembled, please read the Future Skills Reference Database Technical Note.
The current database, assembled by future skills researchers at the Diversity Institute, is not exhaustive but represents a first step in building a more comprehensive database. It will be regularly updated and expanded as new material is published and identified. In that vein, we encourage those with suggestions for improvements to this database to connect with us directly at di.fsc@ryerson.ca.
From this database, we also selected 39 key publications and created an Annotated Bibliography. It is designed to serve as a useful tool for researchers, especially Canadian researchers, who may need some initial guidance in terms of the key references in this area.
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Reference
Entrepreneurship, skills development, finance
Microfinance can be an important support for the transition to formality both through providing incentives to move out of informality and through their position within supervisory frameworks. They have the advantage of being flexible and accessible to the poor while also being regulated. Importantly, MFIs can support informal operators’ access to other markets and income generating opportunities and are therefore attractive partners for informal economy operators that wish to grow. MFIs also often offer the advantage of not requiring formal property as collateral for loans and rely less on written documentation than formal financial institutions. Similarly, the underlying poverty alleviation orientation of MFIs enables them to meet both equity and efficiency objectives including job creation, reducing vulnerability and facilitating empowerment through group organization.
Reference
Formulating a national policy on skills development
Looks at why national skills policies matter, what can be achieved by developing a national skills policy, key policy principles and how these can be incorporated in national skills policies as well as the process for policy development and effective implementation of skills policies. Intended to encourage particular action on the part of the constituents, the brief draws on Human Resources Development Recommendation (No. 195) and tripartite agreements adopted at the International Labour Conference in 2008 on "Skills for improved productivity, employment growth and development". It also provides examples of successful experiences of national skills development strategies in some countries.
Reference
The impact of robots on productivity, employment and jobs: A positioning paper by the International Federation of Robotics
This paper provides the IFR’s opinion on the impact of automation - specifically of robots - on productivity, competitiveness and employment. IFR is not a policy institute. However, this report includes the main conclusions from a variety of experts on appropriate policy responses to ensure ongoing positive outcomes from automation and the ongoing development and uptake of robots, with which we concur.
Reference
The next era of human–machine partnerships
This report explores emerging technologies shaping the future of the human experience over the next decade, and the specific impacts and implications they will have on society and work.
Reference
Skills priorities for the automotive retail sector: United Kingdom
The Institute of the Motor Industry (IMI) is the Sector Skills Council (SSC) for the automotive retail industry. This sector is vital to the smooth running of the UK economy as it is concerned with the sale, rental/leasing, maintenance and repair of the 29.1 million vehicles on the roads in England (83% of the 35.21 million in the UK), and their associated parts. The businesses within the sector are diverse and include; vehicle dealerships, independent garages, car supermarkets, rental and leasing outfits, fast fit chains, roadside assistance operations, accident repair centres and wholesale and retail parts suppliers. This paper describes the current and future skill priorities for the sector. It draws on research undertaken by the IMI and a range of secondary sources.
Reference
The next era of human-machine partnerships: Emerging technologies' impact on society & work in 2030
There is no universally agreed upon determination of which technologies are considered emerging. For the purpose of this study, IFTF explored the impact that Robotics, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning, Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR), and Cloud Computing, will have on society by 2030. These technologies, enabled by significant advances in software, will underpin the formation of new human-machine partnerships.
Reference
The labour market shift: Training a highly skilled and resilient workforce in Ontario
This working paper examines Ontario's changing labour market and skills, employer-driven training, and government skills training programs. Ontario's labour market has changed. For Ontarians to remain resilient in face of this change, they must be equipped with skills that are transferable across occupations and sectors. The main findings include that most workplace spending on training is concentrated among large, private-sector firms and for highly educated individuals, and that Employment Ontario programs have not kept pace with the changing labour market. The working paper proposes ten recommendations for employers, government, and educational institutions to prepare Ontario's workforce to be resilient in the face of current and future labour market shifts.
Reference
Job control in Britain: First findings from the skills and employment survey 2012
Employees’ ability to influence decisions at work is one of the most important factors affecting their motivation and psychological well-being and is also associated with good physical health. This report examines the trends in different types of employee control in British workplaces and presents a mixed picture. Overall, the level of task discretion (employees’ immediate control over their work tasks) has been stable since 2001, following a sharp decline in the 1990s. But the trends since 2006 have been different for men and women, with women seeing a small rise, and men a further fall in task discretion. There was a rise in the proportion of employees working in semi-autonomous teams (those with significant control over their work activities) from 14% in 2006 to 18% in 2012. This rise reverses a previous long-term decline. Between 2006 and 2012 there was also a rise in the proportion of jobs using self-managed teams, from 4% to 7%. Halting a previous upward trend, there has been little change between 2006 and 2012 in formal provisions for participation in wider organisational decisions. Yet, the proportion of employees who report that they have a great deal or quite a lot of say over work organisation declined from 36% to 27% between 2001 and 2012.
Reference
The future of work and current social protection
A review of social protection today provides examples of systems that help people who need support and help reduce the gaps in social provisions.