Speaking during this year’s career and entrepreneurial fair, which had the theme: ‘Building Employability Skills for the Now of Work’, HR expert, Tunde Adebayo, said the socio-economic and technology trends have significantly impacted and would continue to shape the workplace of the future.
He listed trends like COVID-19, which he said broke the lid; the phenomenon of quiet quitting; global economy downward/slow growth; mobility of workforce; technological and digital breakthroughs, as well as climate change.
To be career ready following the new trends in the workplace, he said individuals would require many skills, including academic knowledge, technical expertise and a set of general crosscutting abilities, which he termed as employability skills.
He said the employability skills, is the general skills that are necessary for success in the labour market at all employment levels and in all sectors.
Calling on the job seekers to ensure they are fully equipped with skills for easy access to getting good job offers, he said employers have high regard for employability skills, because they are much harder to teach than job-specific skill.
According to him, some employable qualities come naturally, while others can be acquired through education and work or daily practice.
For employability, Adebayo assured the job seekers that demonstrable skills can guarantees employment and not cover letters nor curriculum vitae.
For one to have employability skills, Adebayo said such person must be an effective communicator, able to collaborate through teamwork to achieve shared goals, develop digital literacy skills and ability to adapt to new technologies, as well as leadership and administrative skills, among others.
CIPM President and Chairman of the Governing Council, Olusegun Mojeed, said the programme, which is one of the institute’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), aims at bridging unemployment and unemployability gaps in the labour market.
Acknowledging the transformative changes sweeping across the business landscape and unprecedented challenges facing workers, potential workers and employers, he said it behooves on the institute’s collective responsibility to guide and empower individuals to thrive in the ever-evolving world of work.
The CIPM chief said that the now of work demands a fresh perspective and proactive approach to career development.
According to him, gone are the days of static job roles and predictable career paths.
“Today, the job market is a complex tapestry of disruptive technologies, shifting trends and demand for multi-faceted skill sets. To succeed, we must adapt, evolve and equip ourselves with the tools to navigate this rapidly changing global economy.
“Digital literacy, a high level of Adaptability Quotient (AQ), an agile Relevance Quotient (RQ) and consistent learning mindset have become the cornerstone of employability. The ‘rise and rise’ of technology has disrupted every aspect of our lives and we must become digitally fluent to unlock new opportunities,” he said.
