The Starting Point The task of reskilling millions of workers may feel overwhelming! So how can we adequately prepare tomorrow’s workforce at the same time as retraining the hundreds of millions of people whose work is evolving?

By 2022 alone, 75 million jobs will probably be displaced across 20 major economies, while 133 million new ones will spring up in industries that are only just gaining traction. At the same time, it’s estimated that nearly two-thirds of children who started school in 2016 will go on to have jobs that don’t yet exist.

Here are four ways that business leaders can start addressing the digital skills gap.

While it’s easy to think of digital skills as ones taught in the ICT suite at school or college, technological literacy in the broadest sense is what matters. To make sure our workforces are truly equipped for the jobs of tomorrow, we need a wide-ranging development of these skills, among customers, parents, teachers and older people, as well students and new graduates.

As technology remoulds our everyday, it also unlocks new ways to impart these skills. For example, BT’s Skills for Tomorrow platform offers free online or face-to52 www.dqindia.com face courses to everyone from small-business owners to teachers and parents. And it’s not just digital skills that need to be fostered. Study after study shows that while technology will alter many roles directly, it’s also set to have indirect effects. As demand for mathematics, computing and data analysis grows, so too will the need for human attributes like creativity, critical thinking, persuasion and negotiation.

Employers that understand this wholesale change in skill requirements are ahead of the pack. Nurturing staff for the long-term and equipping young people with the tools they need to progress becomes more important in a working environment that’s in flux. That means we need strong cultures that promote mentoring and the development of so-called soft skills.

With most roles and jobs likely to become less defined and more fluid, continuous retraining and upskilling can make sure staff are ready to take advantage of new opportunities as they arise. There’s also a place for