Skilling: The Urgent Concept Shaping the Future of Work
Skilling is key to the future of work. Nearly 60% of the workforce will need upskilling. Upskilling, reskilling, offskilling, and preventing deskilling are vital to ensure sustainable human and technological convergence and growth.
How prepared is today’s workforce for the future?
According to the World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report 2025, if the global workforce were 100 people:
41 would not need upskilling by 2030
29 would be upskilled in their current role
19 would be upskilled and re-deployed
11 would be unlikely to receive the necessary upskilling
This snapshot offers a striking insight: nearly 60% of the workforce will need some form of upskilling or reskilling in the coming years — yet not everyone will have access to it. This figure reflects the global challenge that workers, companies, and governments alike must urgently address.
In this context, the way we approach talent development becomes not only strategic, but urgent.
More Than a Buzzword: Skilling as a Human Strategy
Artificial Intelligence is rapidly improving the technical and functional aspects of how we work. Tasks are becoming faster, more efficient, and scalable. But amid this acceleration, one thing is becoming increasingly clear:
Our future competitiveness won’t depend solely on technology — it will depend on how people evolve alongside it.
To navigate this new reality, we need to rethink how we talk about talent development. "Skilling" is often used as a catch-all term, but it actually encompasses a broader, more strategic set of evolving dynamics.
Let’s explore four phenomena that are reshaping how we prepare talent for the future:
Upskilling: Evolving Within the Role
Upskilling is about helping people deepen or expand their capabilities within their current role or area. In a context where AI and data are being integrated across functions, this means enabling employees to build complementary skills that keep them relevant and confident in what they do.
It’s not just about taking a course. It’s about fostering a culture of continuous learning within the flow of work.
Reskilling: Moving Toward New Opportunities
As roles evolve or disappear, reskilling becomes essential. This is the process of equipping people to transition into entirely new positions, often driven by organizational transformation, market changes, or technological disruption.
Reskilling demands more than just technical training — it requires emotional support, mentorship, and clear pathways to growth.
Offskilling: A Responsible Transition Out
Sometimes, change means helping someone move beyond the organization. Offskilling is the practice of preparing employees to thrive in external job markets when internal opportunities are no longer available.
It reflects a deeper commitment to people — recognizing their contribution and investing in their long-term employability with dignity and care.
Deskilling: The Silent Risk of Inaction
In contrast, deskilling is what happens when workers gradually lose opportunities to apply their knowledge. It’s a consequence of automation, role fragmentation, rigid structures that overlook human potential, or the overuse of AI tools that can diminish hands-on skill development.
Deskilling not only affects engagement — it can erode a company’s ability to innovate from within.
Human + AI: A New Collaborative Paradigm
Organizations that will thrive are not those that adopt the most tools, but those that create cultures where people and technology co-create knowledge, address previously invisible challenges, and generate value aligned with purpose.
The question we must ask ourselves is not only how we automate, but how we elevate.
There’s no doubt that learning is continuous, transitions are human-centered, and innovation is deeply connected to inclusion.
Let’s evolve not only what we do — but who we become, together.
