The IoD recently published a white paper concerning the development of skills. We all know in the world of business that one of the major factors that holds back the growth and development of a business is finding people with the right skills. These skills can either be technical or “soft” but when the gap manifests itself it certainly can apply the brakes.
Most of us today will be using skills that we didn’t have twenty years ago, certainly ones that we didn’t gain at school, college or university. The world of work today assumes IT literacy and now the ability to continue working whilst on the move, out of the office environment.
I'm sure that most will agree that the expansion of the internet means the labour market no longer rewards workers primarily for what they know, but for what they can do with what they know.
There are so many online sources of data that there is no longer a need to have these facts stored in the memory.
Indeed following recent reviews to the education system, we are at risk of turning our schools into ‘exam factories’ still teaching method and recall, the easiest skills to automate.