The Foundation for Human Resources Development is holding its annual HR conference on November 12. Titled ‘HR2021 Beyond the Pandemic’, it will tackle the work scenario post COVID-19.
The coronavirus has reshaped the world in ways that will endure well beyond the pandemic. Globally and locally, organisations are now entering an era of occupational transitions. The recurring struggle among business owners, professionals and employers is to create solutions not only for navigating the pandemic but also for navigating the post-pandemic world of work.
Pre-COVID, the future of work was all about things happening at a fast pace, with assumptions that there will be a decline in traditional roles such as operating machinery, preparing fast food and collecting and processing data among others. Roles requiring managing people, care work, applying expertise, empathy and so forth were set to increase as these are harder to automate.
The reality today is that remote work is here to stay, with possibly more than one in 16 workers requiring to switch occupations by 2030.
Job growth will more heavily be concentrated in high-skill jobs, while middle- and low-skill jobs are set to decline (McKinsey Global Institute February 18, 2021). Other jobs linked to business travel such as flight attendants, airline mechanics and baggage handlers are at a higher risk. This industry will take time to recover completely.
It is imperative, now more than ever, for organisations to rise to the occasion by not losing sight of competitiveness, social cohesion, decent conditions of employment and quality of life.
“The reality today is that remote work is here to stay”
Investing in new approaches for training will support employees navigate through the changes post-pandemic. There is the opportunity to make training more equitable by adapting existing programmes and designing new ones to better serve the immediate and long-term need of workers to evolve, by providing them with the necessary skills for life-long learning opportunities. With remote working here to stay, flexible learning options and focus on transferable skills are high on everyone’s agenda. The goal is to build something better than what existed prior to the pandemic.
Through research conducted by Jobs for the Future (JFF), five design considerations are recommended when designing training programmes: 1) thinking critically about the use of technology, 2) expanding options for re-employment, 3) adopting flexible programming models, 4) supporting programme staff and 5) embracing partnerships.
“Training and education will be key to helping displaced workers find stable jobs in the post-pandemic recovery, but programmes need to be reimagined with equity at the forefront to ensure that they benefit everyone equally.” (JFF, October 2020)
It is in the interest of all organisations to build on the lessons learnt from the past months and turn the current challenges into opportunities.
The creation of innovative training programmes that are inclusive, make use of technology and promote a change in learning and support practices are crucial to face the post-pandemic world. In fact, one of the few positives from COVID-19 was a digital wake-up for many educational institutions (British Council June 2021).
Taking into consideration the above, one can conclude that we are now well-positioned for the new reality, however, it is important to create one’s own ‘new’ normality.
To achieve this, it is important for all stakeholders including businesses, educational institutions, employment agencies, industry associations and government policymakers to come together and work in the same direction to create solutions to navigate this post-pandemic world of work.
The conference HR2021: Beyond the Pandemic is taking place on November 12 at the Hilton Malta Conference Centre. Seats can be booked on http://fhrd.org/2021conf. For more information, call on 2131 3550 or send an e-mail to events@fhrd.org.