Idris, an ambitious young freelancer, had immersed himself in ad hoc research work to support himself during a gap year when the pandemic struck. Like millions of Malaysians, he suddenly found contracts growing scarce as the market became more competitive and the economy more volatile. Undaunted, Idris began looking for ways to upskill himself so that he could win more contracts. Lightning struck when he discovered a programme geared towards equipping Malaysian youths with future-ready skills and tools to thrive in the gig economy.
“I started with the design thinking course, which I found whilst still doing freelance jobs. One thing led to another, and before I knew it, I felt confident enough to take the specialist exam. The course is really convenient and empowers me with the knowledge I need to compete in today’s demanding job market. I’m not stopping here I’m pushing myself to try the data analytics course next!”
Re-envisioning the workforce: Skilling today to thrive tomorrow
December 15, 2020 | Microsoft Stories Asia
By Fiona Carney, Chief Marketing & Operations Officer, Microsoft Asia Pacific
The COVID-19 pandemic has brought on one of the most challenging years in our lifetime â spurring a global economic crisis and severely impacting job markets. Our calculations show that global unemployment rates in 2020 may reach the staggering figure of a quarter of a billion people.
At the same time, the demand for digital skills continues to grow, and we estimate that digital job capacity â or the total number of technology-oriented jobs â will increase nearly five-fold by 2025, rising from 41 million in 2020 to 190 million in 2025.
Retraining and Adult Education Help Close the Skills Gap
Retraining and Adult Education Help Close the Skills Gap
Providing technology and learning programs to underserved populations around the world builds a more inclusive future of work.
By Michael Walker
The global pandemic has highlighted long-standing economic and social disparities faced by minorities and unemployed and underemployed people. At the same time, businesses and economies around the world were already facing a persistent technology skills gap, where high-paying jobs require knowledge and abilities that many workers lack. Reskilling workers is essential to address these inequalities and close this gap.
By supporting training and skills programs, companies can help create economic mobility and career pathways for underserved communities in the United States and around the world, while strengthening and diversifying their own workforces and productivity, and supporting more inclusive economic growth.