Future Skills Program

What are “Future Skills”?

The exponential rise of new technologies, including artificial intelligence, blockchain, virtual reality, and big data, is changing the skills required in the workplace today and in the future. In fact, according to the Future of Jobs Report from the World Economic Forum, more than one-third of today’s workforce skills will be different by 2024. 

So what are future skills are what people need to enter and succeed in the global workforce? 

1. Digital skills and literacy: Every job now and in the future will require at least a basic level of digital skills and literacy.
2. Adaptability and flexibility: As technology evolves, employees must be able to adjust to new conditions, expectations, and skillsets in the workplace.
3. Critical thinking: With automation taking over more remedial tasks in the workplace, people will have the opportunity to exercise more creativity, critical thinking, and decision making.
4. Leadership skills: Leadership in helping and inspiring others to take on new issues and develop solutions.
5. Emotional intelligence: Empathy, working well with others, and integrity are essential employability skills that machines will not be able to replace.

Actua’s Future Skills Program

We have long known that high school, university and college students who work for Actua’s network member organizations, develop in-demand employability skills through on the job learning. Actua created the Future Skills Program to expand on this by evaluating the impact of employment on skills, and by creating training programs, such as work-integrated learning experiences, to enhance and expand the leadership and competency attainment of student employees. 

Work-Integrated Learning

Work-integrated learning helps the emerging workforce obtain the skills and knowledge required to succeed in the fast-changing and competitive job market. Actua collaborates with post-secondary institutions, industry partners and government to champion work-integrated learning (WIL) experiences. Through industry-led webinars, hackathons, career days, and mentorship events, the student employees within Actua’s network develop their employability skills, professional networks and the confidence to succeed in the rapidly changing economy.