Upskill my workforce for the digital world

Megatrends are significantly impacting the world of work - reshaping companies and jobs. Factors like social instability, an ageing population and climate change are converging with huge technological advances - ramping up pressure on organisations to cut costs and increase productivity. This new environment accelerates the need for digital transformation - particularly in the race to harness Generative AI (GenAI). And while disruptive technology can increase productivity, it is only as good as the leaders who identify its opportunities, the technologists who deliver it and the people who work with it every day. And that’s where some companies are coming up short. But when skilled and adaptable people adopt the right culture, mindset and behaviours, the results are powerful.

46%

of employees say that having opportunities to learn new skills is a key consideration when it comes to their decision to stay with their employer or leave for another job.

PwC’s Hopes & Fears Survey 2024

69%

of global CEOs say GenAI will require most of their workforce to develop new skills in the next three years

PwC’s 27th Global CEO Survey

Helping you understand where you are, where you need to be and how to get to where you want to be

But many leaders are finding that their existing upskilling efforts are not fit for purpose: programmes don’t deliver the return on investment (ROI) organisations want or the change they need. It’s a problem that should be solved urgently. Upskilling has become so valuable to employees that they see it as a company differentiator with almost half of employees saying that having opportunities to learn new skills is a key consideration when it comes to their decision to stay with their employer or leave for another job.

To address this, organisations need to recognise the responsibility they have to their people, embrace adaptability, and invest in upskilling and reskilling. The solution to the challenges lies in skills—the new currency of the modern workforce.

Thinking skills first
Upskilling for the GenAI revolution
Skills diagnostic

Thinking skills first

Traditional workforce planning routines and processes are rapidly becoming obsolete. Innovative organisations are taking a ‘skills-first’ approach instead. This helps them break free from rigid job descriptions and instead plan their workforce needs around the specific skills that help them create and support value for their customers and stakeholders.

Thinking and working in a skills-first way is becoming a key part of how organisations plan to meet the talent demands of the future. Skills-based organisations also benefit from cost efficiencies as they develop the most valuable skills and reduce duplicated effort across teams.

How we can help

Skills-first practices often call for significant cultural change. To help our clients transform into skills-based organisations, we create plans and programmes to help them shift mindsets and support their teams through change. We’ve been part of the skills-first conversation since it began, and have contributed to extensive research and thought leadership in this area, including publications with the World Economic Forum and others.

Upskilling for the GenAI revolution

GenAI offers exciting opportunities for organisations to automate, remove duplicated effort, and capture cost savings. But it’s also seriously accelerated the disruption of the skills supply chain. Organisations now need a detailed, considered response so they can plan proactively for the future.

Most organisations will need to reassess their workforce operating model. This includes defining which skills are most relevant—now and in the future—and analysing what gaps exist. This can lead to a new view on where the best candidates come from and how they’re assessed. For current employees, there will likely be changes to what career development pathways look like and the ways people can upskill and reskill inside the organisation.

How we can help

These questions can open up discussions that are wide-reaching and significant. To help you through the process so you can embrace the advantages of generative AI, we match our experience in workforce transformation with our technological expertise. Starting with our skills diagnostic, we can help you design a new skills supply chain and operating model that will prepare you for decades to come.

Skills diagnostic

The right HR and skills technology can help you automate processes, identify and predict skills gaps, curate personalised learning pathways for employees, and produce valuable insights to support and shape your strategy. And there’s a wide—and growing—range of partnerships, software and solutions you can employ.

We’ll work with you to research and choose technology Alliances that are right for you and your organisation’s goals. We take an agnostic, unbiased approach to choosing vendors, working around your unique needs and objectives.

How we can help

Typically, we’ll start out by helping you define your organisation’s vision for skills: what do you want to achieve, and how can skills support your wider workforce strategy? We’ll also check the health of your existing data to help make sure the outputs are clear and useful. We’ll move on to develop your organisation’s skills taxonomy and help you identify the hot skills that are relevant for you. Then, we’ll produce a roadmap and recommendations to get you where you want to be, including a choice of technology partners.

“Technology is fundamentally transforming the way work gets done and the types of skills employers are looking for. Employees are therefore placing an increased premium on organisations that invest in their skills growth so that they can stay relevant and thrive in a digital world. Businesses in turn must be proactive in their upskilling programmes - prioritising the employee experience and being transparent. Because when you meaningfully engage your workforce, they become an accelerant for successful transformation.”

Pete BrownPwC’s global workforce leader, PwC UK