In my decades of working with clients in a wide range of industries, I have witnessed great changes in the world of work. But the shifts we’re facing today—spurred by digital disruption—are moving at breakneck speed, a trend that will make it harder for employers to find workers with the necessary skills and for many current employees to hold on to their jobs.
For women in the workforce, these changes will hit especially hard. Because of digital technologies, 11% of jobs held by women today are at risk of elimination.
But here’s the good news. Since employers will no longer be able to count on the traditional marketplace to fill the growing number of digital roles, their survival will depend on heavy investments in reskilling and upskilling. If carefully targeted, these training programs can benefit women in a number of ways:
· Giving women skills that will keep them from losing their jobs
· Offering women who have dropped out of the workforce mid-career a clear pathway back
· Providing women with the necessary skills for becoming leaders in a new digital era—and speeding progress toward diversity at the top
Business leaders around the world already know the importance of diversity in the workplace. In this commentary, an earlier version of which was published by the World Economic Forum, I explore the steps that business leaders can take to create a successful reskilling program that will help keep women in the workforce—and improve gender diversity numbers around the world.
Full article here.