Identifying Future Skill Needs and Bridging the Skills Gaps

Abstract

The world of work is changing rapidly, and organizations need to be able to adapt quickly to the constant changes and new requirements in the operating environment. The skill and competence development requires attention as the skills gaps keep increasing and widening, and it is vital for both the individuals and organizations to map and address these gaps to stay relevant.

In this study, the topic of future skill demands and identifying the skills gaps was explored within one expert team of the commissioning organization operating in the education industry. The main objective was to research future skill and competence demands the L&D professionals and education industry are facing, and through that explore what the critical future skills and existing skills gaps are for the expert team of the commissioning organization. In addition, the aim was to provide suggestions on how to continue the internal development work and start bridging the identified skills gaps through skill and competence development measures. The topic was delimited to concentrate specifically on the area of competence development, and addressing the skills gaps was explored in the context of upskilling and reskilling, leaving out the employment-based options and automation point of view.

This thesis followed the case study approach with a combination of qualitative and quantitative research methods and was executed during the fall-winter 2023-2024. The critical future skill needs in the industry were mapped based on the literature, recent research reports, interviews, and internal material of the commissioning organization. After identifying the 15 most critical skills for the expert team, the team members were sent a survey asking them to make a self-assessment on their skill level in these 15 skills and contribute to the ranked importance of them.

The central findings of the research included a clear indication in which areas the skills gaps exist within the expert team, and what topics require immediate attention. The skill areas identified needing the initiatives to bridge the gap most urgently were ‘Digital proficiency: ability to use tools and channels’, ‘Digital learning design’, ‘Leadership’, ‘Sales & marketing’ and ‘Financial understanding’. Another interesting discovery was that in the survey results, the skill areas evaluated as the weakest ones were also systematically evaluated as of least importance. The reasons behind this phenomenon as well as the specific skill gap areas needing the most urgent attention are recommended to be explored further together with the expert team participating in this research. In addition, to align the skill gap evaluation and development work better with the commissioning organization’s strategy and goals, it is suggested that the management would be involved to set specific target levels for skills, individuals, and teams, which would enable the use of individual and team-based competence profiles as well as a skill inventory to support the competence management and development work in the future. It is also suggested that the work continues in the commissioning organization to establish and implement a systematic approach, processes and supporting tools for the skill and competence development work.