Workforce Development Programs

Louder for the people at the back 🎤 Many organisations today seem to have shifted from being institutions that develop great talent to those that primarily seek ready-made talent. This trend overlooks the immense value of individuals who, despite lacking experience, possess a great attitude, commitment, and a team-oriented mindset. These qualities often outweigh the drawbacks of hiring experienced individuals with a fixed and toxic mindset. The best organisations attract talent with their best years ahead of them, focusing on potential rather than past achievements. Let’s be clear this is more about mindset and willingness to learn and unlearn as apposed to age. To realise the incredible potential return, organisations must commit to creating an environment where continuous development is possible. This requires a multi-faceted approach: 1. Robust Training Programmes: Employers should invest in comprehensive training programmes that equip employees with the necessary skills for their roles. This includes on-the-job training, mentorship programmes, online courses, and workshops. 2. Redefining Hiring Criteria: Organisations should revise their hiring criteria to focus more on candidates’ potential and willingness to learn rather than solely on prior experience or formal qualifications. Behavioural interviews, aptitude tests, and probationary periods can help assess a candidate's ability to learn and adapt. 3. Partnerships with Educational Institutions: Companies can collaborate with educational institutions to design curricula that align with industry needs. Apprenticeship programmes, internships, and cooperative education can bridge the gap between academic learning and practical job skills. 4. Lifelong Learning Culture: Encouraging a culture of lifelong learning within organisations is crucial. Employers should provide ongoing education opportunities and support for professional development. This includes continuous skills assessment and access to resources for upskilling and reskilling. 5. Inclusive Recruitment Practices: Employers should implement inclusive recruitment practices that remove biases and barriers. Blind recruitment, diversity quotas, and targeted outreach programmes can help ensure that diverse candidates are given a fair chance. By implementing these measures, organisations can develop a workforce that is adaptable, innovative, and resilient, ensuring sustainable success and growth.

When I read about Nolan Norman learning how to solder circuit boards at 18, I didn’t just see a student, I saw a spark. A spark that starts when education meets opportunity. When hands-on training meets industry need. When someone finally connects what’s possible to what’s practical. Lorain County Community College is showing how this can be done, not through slogans or press releases, but through action. High school partnerships. Paid internships. Flexible pathways to real careers. Curriculum aligned to what employers actually need. It’s not flashy. It’s just smart. And it works. At the Global Electronics Association, we know this kind of model is key to strengthening the advanced manufacturing workforce. It’s how we build trusted supply chains, starting with trusted people. https://bit.ly/4mCxqmi

Your instructional designers are wasting their talent building courses nobody asked for. I see it everywhere. Brilliant L&D teams spend months crafting beautiful, interactive modules about "Professional Email Etiquette" or "Workplace Wellness" while the sales team is begging for help with objection handling and the customer success team can't figure out why retention is tanking. We've turned instructional design into an art project instead of a business solution. Here's what's happening: Someone in leadership says, "We need training on X," and your team jumps into action. They research learning theories, build personas, create storyboards, and design gorgeous courses. Six months later, completion rates are 12% and nothing has changed. Meanwhile, the real problems are hiding in plain sight. People are struggling, metrics are declining, and teams are frustrated. But nobody thought to ask the humans doing the work what they needed to learn. Here's where it gets interesting: AI-powered learning platforms finally give us better ways to understand people's needs. Instead of guessing based on annual surveys, these systems can track learning patterns, identify skill gaps through competency mapping, and help you spot where interventions might make a difference. The best instructional designers I know spend more time in the business than at their desks. They're on sales calls, watching customer interactions, sitting with support teams, and asking, "What's making your job harder than it should be?" Now, they can use data from their LMS to validate those hunches and see which learning paths actually correlate with better performance. Stop designing courses for compliance checklists and start creating solutions for real people with real problems. Let the data help you find those problems faster, but remember that correlation isn't causation. Your job isn't to make training. Your job is to make people better at their jobs. There's a massive difference. Want to know if your L&D team is on the right track? Ask them, "What business problem did you solve this month?" If they can't answer immediately, you've got some redirecting to do. L&D leaders, what's the most impactful learning solution your team built by talking to the people who needed it? #InstructionalDesign #LearningAndDevelopment #BusinessAlignment #LDLeadership

Rethinking Entry-Level Hiring: Focus on Potential, Not Just Experience (What your workforce really needs from you) Experience isn't born overnight. It doesn’t materialize from thin air. In today's market, leadership isn’t about demanding prior experience. It’s about nurturing future talent. Here’s how forward-thinking organizations are shifting their approach: 1️⃣ Recognize the Potential Gap Demanding years of experience for entry-level roles creates a barrier. ➜ Acknowledge the current hiring paradox. ➜ Understand the frustration of fresh graduates. ➜ Focus on the skills that can be developed. Open doors, don't build walls. 2️⃣ Value Attitude and Adaptability Years on a résumé don’t guarantee success. Mindset does. ➜ Prioritize a candidate’s willingness to learn. ➜ Look for adaptability in a changing market. ➜ See beyond the paper and into the person. Potential outshines past experience. 3️⃣ Invest in Mentorship and Training Every expert was once a beginner. Build the foundation. ➜ Provide structured mentorship programs. ➜ Offer continuous training and development. ➜ Create opportunities for hands-on learning. Growth is a two-way investment. 4️⃣ Foster an Inclusive Hiring Culture Opportunity shouldn’t be a privilege. It should be a standard. ➜ Break down traditional hiring biases. ➜ Value diverse backgrounds and perspectives. ➜ Create a level playing field for all candidates. Inclusion breeds innovation. 5️⃣ Prioritize Skill-Building Skills are the currency of the future. Invest wisely. ➜ Focus on transferable skills over specific experience. ➜ Identify core competencies and develop them. ➜ Create a culture of continuous learning. Skills grow with opportunity. 6️⃣ Focus on Long-Term Success Short-term experience vs. long-term growth. Choose wisely. ➜ Build a pipeline of future leaders. ➜ Invest in the longevity of your workforce. ➜ Cultivate talent for sustainable success. Future-proof your team. 7️⃣ Leadership is Investing, Not Just Expecting True leadership isn’t about demanding expertise. It’s about building it. ➜ Absorb the initial training burden. ➜ Offer guidance, not just requirements. ➜ Build an environment where potential thrives. Your team will remember the organization that invested in them. Guide them forward. Build their future. Because leadership isn’t about finding perfect candidates. It’s about creating them. Image credit: George Stern

This is not your usual report! The World Bank is publishing today its fourth “Country Climate and Development Report” summary, now covering 93 economies, with a deep dive on the implications of jobs and employment. This report is unique in that it is not based on a global model, like most other global publications, but on the combination of many individual-country reports, each prepared by a separate country team and reviewed by the government of the country, local research centers, universities, and key CSOs and private sector actors. While it makes the aggregation more challenging, the level of granularity this approach offers is unparalleled. Key highlights include that climate adaptation could yield labor income benefits equivalent to 150 million jobs by 2050, a combination of new jobs created by investments in infrastructure or nature-based solution and jobs that are protected from negative shocks and impacts. At the same time, the shift to low-emission development pathways, with emissions reduced by 71 percent by 2050, would have a small and most of the time positive impacts on GDP and labor income. However, while the effect on aggregate employment is expected to be small, countries need to prepare for significant sectoral and regional shifts, with some sectors creating new opportunities, while other sectors will decline. Looking at climate impacts and policies in the context of many other megatrends – like demographic change, digitalization and AI – the report highlights concrete measures to reduce five frictions that prevent workers to adjust to a rapidly changing labor market: skills, space, time, norms, and wages. The report is in English, but we have two-page summaries in English, Chinese, Spanish, French, and Portuguese. All the CCDRs are still available on the CCDR page. https://lnkd.in/g3GqkuhH

The pace of change in today’s job market is unprecedented. AI, automation, and evolving business models are transforming the way we work, as well as the skills we need to thrive. The question isn’t whether your workforce will need to adapt but when. A recent Harvard Business Review, ‘Management Tip of the Day’ suggests four key steps to future-proof your workforce: 🔹 Use scenario-driven planning to map different paths your business could take, then develop leaders who could succeed in each. 🔹 Tie development experiences directly to succession goals. Identify gaps, offer stretch roles, and pair rising talent with mentors and coaching that target upcoming transitions. 🔹 Make succession planning a business priority. Treat it like any critical strategy, with clear accountability, timelines, and measurable outcomes. 🔹 Expect leaders to develop future leaders. Building talent for tomorrow should be part of every leader’s mandate At Capgemini, we’re committed to developing the next generation of leaders at every level. Through initiatives like our Leadership, Gen AI and Industry campuses, mentoring programs, and peer-to-peer learning opportunities, we aim to future-proof our workforce, close leadership gaps, and drive lasting growth and agility.   What steps are you taking to future-proof your team or workforce?

Is the Great Resignation going to return with a vengeance globally? If employees act on their ‘very/extremely likely’ intentions, it will. Why? One key catalyst: Employees want upskilling to stay competitive. They recognize the evolving tech-driven, skills-focused job market. ~50%+ of adopters expect GenAI to lead to higher salaries. Employees likely to switch employer are TWICE as likely to “strongly consider opportunities to learn new skills” in their decisions. But ONLY 46% of workers find their employer provides enough upskilling to support career progression.   At the same time, key factors employees find 'very important' or 'extremely important' relating to engagement and performance: - Fair pay - 82% - Fulfilling work - 74% - Flexibility - 65% Is your company poised for a(nother?) Great Resignation? Is talent getting upskilled for their careers and business growth? How was the last feedback about employees' experiences? We all need to up-level for modern work. Change is inevitable and ongoing. It’s easier when everyone engages to co-create the way forward. A human-centric work approach counterbalances tech-infused business operations. Consider steps that facilitate a meaningful mindset shift: - Listen to employees’ requirements and concerns. - Invest in training and upskilling to support competitive needs. - Nurture trusting relationships to create belonging and community. - Foster a learning culture to stimulate ongoing growth. - Connect people with the purpose of their work. - Enable teams to agree optimal work configurations. What will ensure your company competes effectively through year end? A strong emphasis on empathy-centered leadership and skills acquisition will get you a long way. What do you think? Data from 56,000 workers across 50 countries reported in PwC's Global Workforce Hopes and Fears Survey 2024 #retention #greatresignation #turnover #employeeexperience #employeeengagement #engagement #flexibility #upskilling #skillsinventory #skillsneeds #reskilling

Energy transition has taken center stage in the Indian power sector, with a major focus on sustainability. To ensure sustainability, utilities are embracing new technologies, digital solutions, innovations, and more. Delivering and operating these solutions requires a significant amount of skilled manpower, which is currently lacking in the sector. I frequently meet industry experts, organizational heads, and CXOs of system integrators to discuss this issue. The common challenge I have identified is the availability of a skilled workforce capable of delivering such solutions. In my view, the government should appoint an agency as a nodal body to run skill development programs in the sector at the Diploma and ITI levels. Drawing inspiration from the UK's apprenticeship program, where Utilita Energy and Cheshire College South and West have launched a new-style smart metering apprenticeship, we can develop a similar initiative in India. In the UK program, apprentices receive classroom-based learning at the 11,000-student college and gain hands-on experience within the on-site ‘Sustainable House.’ This facility allows students to work in a real-life setting without being in a real home. Sponsored by Utilita, the Sustainable House is equipped with the latest sustainable technologies, such as ground source heat pumps and photovoltaic solar panels. The academy can upskill thousands of engineers from any organization each year to address the green skills gap. In India, we have very limited training centers for power sector apprenticeships, and they are often inadequately equipped with new technologies or digital interventions. We need to move quickly in this area, and every discom should take ownership of developing one or two advanced training centers to nurture a future-ready workforce.

AI isn’t just transforming how work gets done, but how people grow throughout their careers (https://deloi.tt/44qMFZb).     As foundational tasks become increasingly automated, young professionals are missing out on hands-on experiences that traditionally built confidence and developed proficiency. Meanwhile, tenured professionals are being asked to embrace new technologies that feel unintuitive.     This isn’t just a two-way learning curve, but a huge human capital opportunity.     Evolving our development strategies to meet people where they are means moving beyond traditional mentorship into something more dynamic. More reciprocal. More relevant to today’s rapidly evolving workforce.     Two-way mentorship brings together the AI fluency of early-career professionals and the leadership experience of those with more tenure. As emerging professionals help their senior colleagues build AI literacy, their counterparts can provide general guidance on topics like communication and navigating ambiguity.     This drives more than just individual progress – it creates org-wide workforce transformation. 

South Africa’s youth unemployment rate (Q1 2025) stands at a staggering 62.4% – by far the highest among major economies. Compare this to India (15%), the UK (12.2%), or Japan (3.9%), and the scale of our challenge becomes clear. But the problem isn’t just a “𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐨𝐟 𝐣𝐨𝐛𝐬.” 🔗 https://lnkd.in/dNJiTS4A Research shows it’s a 𝐬𝐤𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐬 and 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 crisis: 📌 Habiyaremye (2022) demonstrates that soft skills like problem-solving, networking, and leadership have a greater impact on employability than technical training alone. 🔗 https://lnkd.in/de4eTA_Q 📌 Morsy & Mukasa (2019) highlight widespread skills mismatches, where graduates are overeducated but underskilled for real market needs. 🔗 https://lnkd.in/dr--Mpzg 📌 Öhlmann (2022) and de Jongh et al. (2024) show how race, geography, and lack of social capital leave millions of young South Africans locked out of opportunity. 🔗 https://lnkd.in/dVxPu7Vu 🔗 https://lnkd.in/dzYnWmTR 📌 Ebrahim (2025) finds that employer incentives (e.g., payroll tax credits) can nudge companies to hire youth. 🔗 https://lnkd.in/dmhyEDbp 👉 What does this mean for South Africa’s tertiary education strategy? We must shift from a supply-driven model (producing graduates) to a demand-driven model (producing employable, adaptable talent). That requires: ✅ Embedding work-integrated learning and apprenticeships into every qualification. ✅ Aligning curricula to growth sectors like ICT, advanced manufacturing & green economy. ✅ Elevating TVETs and dual education systems to equal status with universities. ✅ Incentivising entrepreneurship and linking graduates to procurement ecosystems. ✅ Building digital platforms that connect students directly to employers. South Africa’s universities, TVETs, government, and industry must come together to co-create pathways that bridge learning and work. Visual credit: Trade Brains https://lnkd.in/dBQ-8unJ #SouthAfrica #YouthUnemployment #HigherEducation #SkillsDevelopment #TVET #FutureOfWork #PolicyReform #InclusiveGrowth