WEF's Global Skills Accelerator initiative launched in Azerbaijan

Nearly half of the global workforce will need to acquire new professional skills by 2030, Alison Eaglesham, Head of Future Initiatives at the World Economic Forum (WEF), said at the Baku ID (Baku Investment Day) innovation festival in Baku.

Report quotes her as saying 39% of workers' core skills will change by 2030, while nearly half of the global workforce will need to upskill.

"Key skills such as analytical and creative thinking, leadership and resilience will remain relevant in the coming years. At the same time, they will be complemented by rapidly evolving technical expertise in artificial intelligence, big data and cybersecurity. The workplace of the future will require a combination of technological capabilities and human capital. Economies and workforces equipped with this skill set will be able to achieve the most successful outcomes," she said.

Eaglesham emphasized that technologies and new economic models can only deliver benefits when people are able to develop, master and use them effectively.

"According to the WEF Future of Jobs Report, 63% of employers consider skills shortages the main obstacle to business transformation. That is why the WEF's Global Skills Accelerator program is being implemented in Azerbaijan under the coordination of the Centre for Analysis and Coordination of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (C4IR). This initiative brings together the government, industry and academia on a single platform to create the opportunities needed for the economy of the future," she said.