Putting Skills First

A skills-first approach can help build efficient and equitable labour markets

PwC has provided analysis to support the World Economic Forum in driving the move towards skills-first labour markets around the world.

Putting Skills First: Opportunities for Building Efficient and Equitable Labour Markets, highlights how organisations can tackle global skills and talent shortages by focusing on an individual’s skills and competencies for a particular role, rather than how the skills have been acquired. This report:

  • identifies specific opportunities for intervention where the gains from skills-first solutions are most likely for employers and workers alike
  • offers key takeaways regarding success factors in implementing skills first approaches
  • includes a diverse set of Skills First examples (selected by an independent expert panel, organised by the World Economic Forum) to help bring this concept to life

“Creating resilient and productive labour markets hinges on addressing labour shortages, closing skills gaps and empowering workers with skills for the jobs of the future.”

Peter Brown,Global Workforce Leader, Partner, PwC UK

This builds on the previous report, Putting Skills First: A Framework for Action, that presented a coherent skills-first framework for CEOs and governments, and demonstrated how some organisations are already benefiting from a skills-first culture.

Putting Skills First

A Framework for Action (May 2023)

Download the report (PDF of 562.93kb)

Putting Skills First

Opportunities for Building Efficient and Equitable Labour Markets (January 2024)

Download the report (PDF of 1.58mb)

“A skills-first approach can deliver sustainable economic, business and societal outcomes. Accessing alternative talent pools to address today's skills and labor shortages enables business model reinvention, fuels profitable growth, job creation and more inclusive employment opportunities.”

Bhushan Sethi,Strategy&, Principal, PwC US

Tackling the global skills challenge

PwC is a founding member of the World Economic Forum’s Reskilling Revolution which seeks to empower one billion people with better education, skills, and economic opportunity by 2030.

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Peter Brown

Peter Brown

Global Workforce Leader, Partner, PwC United Kingdom

Tel: (+44) 7789 003712

Bhushan Sethi

Bhushan Sethi

Strategy&, Principal, PwC United States

Tel: +1 (646) 471 2377

Andrea Plasschaert

Andrea Plasschaert

Global Corporate Affairs and Communications, Director, PwC Switzerland

Tel: +41 79 599 9567

Yalin Zhao

Yalin Zhao

Senior manager, People & Organisation, PwC United Kingdom

Tel: +44 7841789376

Miral Mir

Miral Mir

Consultant, People & Organisation, PwC United Kingdom

Tel: +44 07483435362