In the current economic environment, fewer employers anticipate their workforce’s professional skills will lose value or face significant disruption between now and 2030. This marks a notable, if slight, shift in business sentiment, according to recent findings published by the World Economic Forum. The organization’s research, which is part of its comprehensive edition of the Future of Jobs Survey, indicates a five-percentage-point decline in employers who foresee major skills disruption when compared to the findings from . This figure has dropped from forty-four percent to thirty-nine percent, suggesting a move away from the acute panic of skills obsolescence toward a new strategic acceptance of continuous change.
This major survey gathered data from over one thousand employers, providing a wide-ranging view that spans twenty-two distinct industries and fifty different economies. The resulting trendline appears to be headed in a cautiously optimistic direction. This stabilization is largely attributed to the growing number of organizations that are proactively rolling out comprehensive training, upskilling, and reskilling programs for their employees. They have moved from a state of reacting to disruption to a state of actively managing it. However, this stabilization does not mean the problem is solved. A very real and persistent threat remains.
Skill Gaps: The Biggest Barrier to Transformation
Despite the slight decrease in projected disruption, skill gaps remain the most significant and pressing threat to business transformation over the next five years. The report is unequivocal on this point. Skill gaps are categorically considered the single biggest barrier to transformation by the survey’s respondents. A clear majority of employers, sixty-three percent, identified these gaps as a major barrier to their strategic objectives for the to 2030 period. This single statistic highlights the core tension of the modern economy: companies know they need to transform to survive, but they lack the internal human capability to execute that transformation.
This barrier is more significant than access to capital, technological infrastructure, or regulatory hurdles. It is a human-centric problem. Organizations are finding it increasingly difficult to implement new technologies, adopt new business models, and respond to market shifts because their workforce is not equipped with the right competencies. This creates a critical drag on innovation, productivity, and growth. An ambitious plan to integrate artificial intelligence, for example, is useless if the workforce lacks the technological literacy or analytical skills to use the new tools effectively.
The Strategic Priority: Upskilling the Workforce
The widespread recognition of this barrier has forced a clear strategic realignment in executive suites around the world. The response from employers is overwhelming and unified. Accordingly, eighty-five percent of employers surveyed plan to prioritize upskilling their workforce as their primary strategy to combat this challenge. This represents a massive strategic pivot. For decades, the default response to a skills gap was to look externally and hire new talent. That model is no longer sufficient. Companies now understand that the most effective, sustainable, and economical way to build a future-ready workforce is to invest in the people they already have.
This “internal-first” strategy is a response to several factors. The external hiring market for high-demand skills is incredibly competitive, expensive, and slow. It is a zero-sum game that companies are realizing they cannot win. Furthermore, an internal employee, even one who needs new skills, already possesses invaluable assets: they understand the company’s culture, its processes, and its customers. Investing in them is a far less risky proposition than bringing in an unknown quantity from the outside. This prioritization of upskilling is a clear signal that continuous learning is no longer a “perk” but a core business function.
A Blended Strategy for Talent Management
While upskilling is the top priority, it is not the only strategy organizations plan to deploy. The data reveals that employers are adopting a blended and realistic approach to talent management for the coming years. While eighty-five percent are focused on upskilling, a high percentage, seventy percent, still expect to hire new staff who possess the new skills they need. This reflects the reality that some skills, particularly in emerging high-tech fields, may be too specialized or too urgent to build entirely from within. This “build and buy” approach allows companies to augment their existing teams with new capabilities.
This blended strategy is essential for managing the sheer pace of change. It allows a company to simultaneously develop its current workforce while strategically injecting new talent to act as catalysts or to fill immediate, critical needs. This approach requires a much more sophisticated talent acquisition and development function, one that can accurately map the skills of the current workforce and compare them against the skills required by the company’s strategic plan.
The Fate of Declining Roles: Transition and Reduction
The flip side of the skills disruption coin is the necessary management of roles that are becoming less relevant. The survey data provides a candid look at this difficult challenge. Fifty percent of employers are planning to transition staff from declining roles to new, growing roles within the company. This is a constructive and forward-looking strategy. It is a form of reskilling that saves jobs, retains institutional knowledge, and demonstrates a commitment to employees. A worker whose tasks are being automated, for example, can be retrained for a new role in data analysis or system maintenance.
However, the data also shows a less optimistic outcome. Forty percent of employers surveyed are planning to reduce staff as their skills become less relevant. This highlights the harsh reality of economic transformation. In some cases, organizations will deem the skills gap too large to bridge, or the business model will shift so fundamentally that certain roles are eliminated entirely. This combination of “transition” and “reduce” paints a picture of a workforce in a state of profound flux, where the ability to adapt and learn new skills is no longer just a path to promotion but a requirement for continued employment.
The Urgent Need for a New Approach
The edition of the Future of Jobs report provides a thorough and detailed analysis of its findings, including a forward-looking outlook on the business skills that will be most critical through 2030. The World Economic Forum’s research team has determined which skills are rising in significance, which are declining, and which are deemed “core skills” that are essential for the current workplace. The report also highlights the training needs that are anticipated to meet the escalating demands by the end of the decade. This comprehensive research provides a clear roadmap for individuals, organizations, and policymakers.
These findings underscore an urgent and undeniable need for new and appropriate reskilling and upskilling strategies to bridge these emerging divides. Such strategies will be absolutely essential in helping workers transition from declining jobs to new and growing roles. The most successful roles of the future will be those that blend deep technical expertise with uniquely human-centered capabilities. This combination will support the development of a more adaptable and resilient workforce in an increasingly technology-driven and uncertain global landscape.
Variability in Disruption
It is important to note that the experience of skills disruption is not uniform. The severity of this change varies significantly when looking at different industries or specific economies. In general, high-income economies, which often have more established education and training infrastructures, are forecasting less disruption than low-income or middle-income economies. These regions may be facing a “double disruption” from both technological adoption and the shifting of global supply chains, putting even greater pressure on their workforces to adapt.
Similarly, different industries have different outlooks. An industry like telecommunications, which is on the bleeding edge of technological change, may face a different set of challenges than a more traditional sector. However, the overarching trend is clear: no industry is immune. The need for a new talent strategy is universal, even if the specific skills in demand may vary. This global and cross-industry perspective is crucial for understanding the full scope of the challenge ahead.
The Five Drivers of Change
The profound shifts in the skills landscape are not happening in a vacuum. They are the direct result of powerful, large-scale trends that are simultaneously impacting jobs, skills, and business models around the globe. According to the analysis provided by the World Economic Forum, there are five main trends that are currently causing the rise and fall of professional skills. These are: technological change, geoeconomic fragmentation, the green transition, demographic shifts, and economic uncertainty. Each of these drivers is a massive force in its own right, and together they are creating a complex and challenging environment for businesses and workers alike.
Understanding these macro forces is essential for any HR or learning professional. They provide the “why” behind the skills gaps. They signal, as the WEF report states, a clear need to create effective employee development plans. These plans must be designed to bridge the specific skill gaps created by these trends and support the organization’s successful transition into a very different future. These are not cyclical or temporary changes; they are deep, structural shifts that demand a new way of thinking about talent.
Technological Change: AI and Autonomous Systems
The most powerful and visible driver is technological change. The rapid advancements in artificial intelligence, especially generative AI, and the growing reliance on robotics and autonomous systems are at the top of every organization’s agenda. This technological wave is a double-edged sword. On one hand, it is driving up the demand for a whole new class of skills. Roles related to AI and big data, data analysis, and technological literacy are exploding. Companies are desperately seeking professionals who can build, manage, and ethically deploy these new, powerful tools.
On the other hand, these same technologies are decreasing the demand for other skills, particularly those that involve routine, repetitive, or non-analytical tasks. AI can now perform many tasks that were once the domain of human workers, from drafting legal documents to writing code and analyzing financial reports. This forces a strategic response. Organizations must find ways to upskill their workforce to use these AI tools as partners, shifting their focus from simple task execution to higher-level strategy, analysis, and creative problem-solving. This creates an urgent need for training that blends technical literacy with human-centric judgment.
Geoeconomic Fragmentation: A New Era of Risk
The second major driver is the increasing fragmentation of the global economy. Growing geopolitical tensions, the rise of new trade restrictions, and similar international conflicts are creating a much more volatile and risky business environment. The long-held assumptions of stable, globalized supply chains and open international collaboration are being challenged. This has a direct impact on the skills that companies need to navigate this new landscape.
This fragmentation is causing greater risks to supply chains, forcing companies to find new skills in logistics, risk management, and regional sourcing. It is also dramatically elevating the importance of networks and cybersecurity. As nations and non-state actors use digital tools for economic and political conflict, the “attack surface” for every company expands. This drives a massive demand for cybersecurity professionals who can protect corporate networks and sensitive data. Finally, this trend creates a need for skills in international relations, political risk analysis, and cross-cultural negotiation, as companies must navigate a more complex web of shifting alliances and regulations.
The Green Transition: A New Industrial Revolution
The third macro force, the green transition, is rapidly moving from a niche concern to a central business priority. Driven primarily by the realities of climate change and the growing consequences thereof, more employers now see skills related to a green transition as pertinent to their operations. This is not just about corporate social responsibility; it is about a fundamental shift in the economy. This transition is creating entirely new industries and job roles while demanding that existing industries transform their operations.
This driver creates demand for a wide rangeof skills. There is the obvious need for “green skills” related to environmental stewardship, sustainability reporting, and renewable energy technologies. But it also creates demand in less obvious areas. The manufacturing sector needs skills in sustainable design and circular economy principles. The financial sector needs professionals who can analyze environmental, social, and governance (ESG) risk. The construction industry needs new expertise in green building materials and energy efficiency. This transition requires a massive reskilling effort across almost every sector of the economy.
Demographic Shifts: The Aging and Incoming Workforce
The fourth driver is the simultaneous demographic shift occurring in many economies. On one end of the spectrum, many developed nations have an aging working population. As these experienced workers prepare to exit the labor pool, there is a massive risk of “knowledge drain.” This creates a high demand for skills related to talent management, mentorship, and knowledge transfer, as organizations scramble to capture decades of institutional knowledge before it walks out the door.
On the other end of the spectrum, a new generation of workers is entering the labor pool, often with different expectations and different skill sets. There is a tremendous opportunity to train this incoming workforce on the new skills required for the future, such as AI literacy and data analysis. However, it also creates a need for managers to develop new “power skills” in leadership, empathy, and social influence to effectively bridge the generational gap and motivate a diverse, multi-generational team.
Economic Uncertainty and Volatile Trade
Finally, the fifth driver is the persistent state of economic uncertainty. Contentious trade relations, geopolitical conflicts, and the recent memory of high inflation are stoking uncertainty about where the economy will go in and beyond. While inflation was largely reined in during , the future remains hard to predict. This uncertainty forces organizations to be more agile, efficient, and resilient. It dampens enthusiasm for long-term, speculative hiring and places an even greater premium on upskilling the existing workforce.
This economic pressure accelerates the adoption of technologies that promise efficiency, such as AI and automation. This, in turn, accelerates the skills disruption caused by those same technologies. It also creates a high demand for skills related to financial analysis, risk management, and strategic planning, as companies must navigate a volatile economic landscape. Furthermore, it places a premium on “power skills” like resilience, flexibility, and agility, as employees are expected to do more with less and adapt quickly to shifting priorities.
Blending Technical Expertise with Human-Centered Capabilities
These five findings, taken together, underscore an urgent need for appropriate reskilling and upskilling strategies to bridge the emerging divides. Such strategies are not optional; they are essential for survival. They will be critical in helping workers transition to the roles that will be most valuable in the coming decade. The report is clear that these new roles will be those that successfully blend deep technical expertise with uniquely human-centered capabilities.
For HR and learning professionals, this is a clear signal. The future of employee development is not a binary choice between “technical skills” and “soft skills.” It is about creating effective employee development plans that integrate the two. The goal is to support a more adaptable and resilient workforce in an increasingly technology-driven landscape, where the human ability to analyze, create, and lead is the ultimate differentiator.
What Are Professional Skills?
According to the World Economic Forum Future of Jobs Report, professional skills are a broad set of abilities that individuals develop through education, formal training, and, most importantly, practical experience at work. These skills, when developed and honed, are the core competencies that help people thrive in their roles, collaborate with others, and drive organizational success. The list of all possible professional skills that people can develop over time is vast and nearly endless, but the Forum’s research has successfully identified the most important ones that employers are actively seeking for their workforces today.
What is immediately apparent about this list of top skills is that they are all, in essence, transferable skills. This means they are not tied to a specific job, software, or industry. Instead, they are durable, human-centric abilities that can apply to virtually any role in any organization. They are the foundation of professional competence, allowing an individual to adapt to new challenges, learn new technologies, and remain valuable even as the specific tasks of their job evolve.
Beyond the “Hard vs. Soft” Debate
For decades, the discourse around skills has been trapped in a simplistic, age-old debate: are hard skills or technical skills more important than soft skills? The answer to this question, which is now clearer than ever, is that this is a false dichotomy. It is not a simple yes or no. The distinction itself is becoming less useful. A more helpful way to frame it is that technical skills are the “cost of entry,” while professional skills are the “differentiator.”
Hard or technical skills are essential. They help an individual fulfill specific, defined job duties. Take programming as a perfect example. A software developer must, as a requirement of their specific job, know how to program. This is a non-negotiable technical skill. However, to be an effective software developer, they must also know how to work collaboratively with a team of other developers, product managers, and designers. They must be able to communicate complex technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders. They must think creatively to solve novel problems and be resilient when their code does not work. It is not one or the other; it is always both.
The Archetypal Employee
If you were to build an archetypal employee from this list of top skills, you would have a person on your payroll who is both highly introspective and effectively extroverted. This ideal employee would be someone who can handle the stress and constant change of the modern workplace with grace, demonstrating resilience. They would be someone who communicates clearly, with empathy, and has an easy time working alongside others, leveraging their leadership and active listening skills.
This person also does not require constant, hands-on supervision. Instead, they possess an innate drive to troubleshoot, overcome challenges, and seek out new knowledge. This is driven by their strong analytical thinking and their internal motivation. They are self-aware enough to know their strengths and weaknesses, and curious enough to actively work on their gaps. This is the model of an employee who is “future-ready,” someone who can not only navigate disruption but can also help the organization thrive within it.
Core Skill 1: Analytical Thinking
Analytical thinking is ranked as one of the most critical skills for employees today. This is no surprise. In a world that is generating data at an unprecedented rate, and with AI tools that can surface that data instantly, the new “bottleneck” is not access to information; it is the human ability to make sense of it. Analytical thinking is the ability to collect and evaluate information, break down complex problems into their constituent parts, identify logical patterns, and make reasoned, objective decisions.
This skill is the core of effective problem-solving. It requires critical reasoning, a meticulous attention to detail, and the capacity to interpret ambiguous or incomplete data to make an informed decision. An employee with strong analytical skills does not just accept information at face value. They question assumptions, test hypotheses, and look for the “why” behind the “what.” This is the skill that allows a marketer to look at a campaign report and see not just the numbers, but the story of customer behavior. It is what allows a manager to look at a team’s performance and diagnose the root cause of a bottleneck.
Core Skill 2: Resilience, Flexibility, and Agility
In a work environment defined by the five macro drivers of change—technology, geopolitics, economics, climate, and demographics—the ability to cope with stress and adapt is paramount. Resilience, flexibility, and agility are the human shock absorbers that allow individuals and organizations to remain productive during uncertain times. Resilience is the ability to recover quickly from setbacks and failures. Flexibility is the willingness to adjust to new circumstances and pivot from a set plan. Agility is the ability to move quickly and easily, to learn new skills, and to embrace new ways of working.
Employees who possess these skills are invaluable. They do not shut down when a project is canceled or a priority shifts. Instead, they manage the stress, reorient themselves to the new goal, and find a path forward. These are the employees who thrive in fast-paced, challenging situations. Organizations in industries like telecommunications, IT, and agriculture, which face constant market and environmental volatility, are particularly focused on building this skill area. It is the core competency for navigating a future where change is the only constant.
Core Skill 3: Leadership and Social Influence
Leadership and social influence is a core skill that has, importantly, been decoupled from a formal job title. This is not just “management.” It is the ability to inspire, guide, and motivate others toward a shared goal, even without formal authority. In today’s flatter, more collaborative, and often remote-first workplaces, this skill is essential for everyone. It is about effectively building relationships, fostering collaboration, and creating a sense of shared purpose.
An employee with strong social influence can persuade a skeptical stakeholder to support a new idea. They can motivate a tired team to meet a difficult deadline. They can build the professional relationships and networks that are essential for cross-functional projects. This skill is a blend of communication, empathy, and strategic thinking. It is about understanding what motivates others and aligning their individual goals with the team’s objectives. Industries like automotive, aerospace, and education, which rely on complex, multi-team projects, are highly focused on building this competency.
Core Skill 4: Creative Thinking
Creative thinking is the ability to approach problems and situations with originality and innovation. It is the skill of generating unique ideas and finding new solutions. In an age where AI can analyze, optimize, and execute, human creativity is the “killer app.” AI is very good at “interpolation”—working within the boundaries of its training data. Humans are good at “extrapolation”—thinking outside the box, combining concepts in entirely new ways, and applying imagination to overcome challenges or create entirely new opportunities.
This skill is not limited to “creative” roles like marketing or design. An engineer who finds a novel solution to a complex technical problem is using creative thinking. A finance professional who designs a new model for assessing risk is using creative thinking. It is the engine of innovation and problem-solving. The insurance industry, for example, which is being profoundly disrupted by new data and new risks, stands out as being highly focused on this skill, as it needs to invent new products and new ways of working.
Core Skill 5: Motivation and Self-Awareness
This dual skill is the “introspective” foundation of the archetypal employee. It is the internal engine that drives all other skills. Motivation, in this context, is about having an innate drive to achieve, to overcome challenges, and to take initiative. It is the opposite of a “wait to be told” mindset. Motivated employees do not require a great deal of external supervision; they are self-starters who actively seek out problems to solve and opportunities to add value.
Self-awareness is the critical counterpart to motivation. It is the ability to understand one’s own emotions, strengths, weaknesses, and how one’s behavior impacts others. A highly motivated employee who lacks self-awareness can be a “bull in a china shop,” creating team friction and making poor decisions. An employee who is both motivated and self-aware is a powerhouse. They know where they excel and can apply their strengths, and they also know where their gaps are, which fuels their desire for self-development and lifelong learning. This skill is the starting point for all personal and professional growth.
The Core Skills Continued
The list of top ten professional skills identified by the World Economic Forum provides a comprehensive blueprint for the modern, resilient professional. The first five skills, covered in the previous part, focused on the cognitive and interpersonal foundations: analytical thinking, resilience, leadership, creativity, and self-awareness. The remaining five skills build on this foundation, rounding out the capabilities required to effectively execute work, collaborate with others, and adapt to the future. These skills are technological literacy, empathy and active listening, curiosity and lifelong learning, talent management, and service orientation.
This second set of skills demonstrates the crucial blend of human-centric and technology-centric capabilities. It highlights that being a “people person” is just as important as being “tech-savvy,” and that the most effective professionals are those who are both. These are the skills that enable individuals to not only use the new tools but to use them wisely, collaboratively, and in service of a larger goal.
Core Skill 6: Technological Literacy
In a world driven by digital transformation, technological literacy is no longer a niche skill reserved for the IT department. It has become a core competency for every employee, in every role. This skill is becoming increasingly important for people to participate fully in modern society, and it is an absolute requirement in workplace environments. The industries most focused on developing this competency are broad, including automotive, aerospace, financial services, and healthcare, signaling its universal importance.
Technological literacy is the ability to effectively use, evaluate, and understand technology in various contexts. It is a spectrum. At its most basic level, it encompasses navigating the digital tools required for a job, from communication platforms and project management software to specialized line-of-business applications. At a higher level, it involves the ability to solve technical problems, understand data security and privacy principles, and, most importantly, the ability to critically evaluate new technologies. It is not just about using a tool; it is about understanding why a particular tool is, or is not, the right one for the job.
Core Skill 7: Empathy and Active Listening
If leadership and social influence is the skill of projecting one’s ideas, empathy and active listening is the essential counterpart: the skill of absorbing and understanding the ideas and emotions of others. In a workplace that is more diverse, more remote, and more collaborative than ever, this skill is the bedrock of effective teamwork. Empathy is the ability to understand and share the feelings of another person. Active listening is the practice of focusing fully on the speaker, understanding their message, and responding thoughtfully.
These skills are crucial for building psychological safety, resolving conflicts, and fostering genuine collaboration. An active listener does not just wait for their turn to talk; they seek to understand the other person’s perspective, even if they disagree with it. This leads to better decision-making, as all viewpoints are heard. It is the core of effective leadership, as managers who listen to their teams are better able to understand their needs and motivations. It is also the foundation of customer service, as it allows a professional to understand the true, underlying need of a client.
Core Skill 8: Curiosity and Lifelong Learning
Curiosity and lifelong learning are the core drivers of personal and professional growth. This skill area is about keeping an open mind, actively seeking new knowledge, and pursuing self-development, not as a one-time event, but as a continuous, career-long habit. These skills are the engine of adaptability. They foster innovation by encouraging people to ask “what if?” and “why not?” They help individuals stay engaged with their work and, most critically, stay relevant in a rapidly changing skills landscape.
An employee who is curious is an organization’s best asset. They are the ones who will voluntarily learn a new technology, who will read about a new market trend, or who will ask questions that challenge the “way we have always done things.” This is the skill that directly combats skills disruption. It is perhaps unsurprising that the education and training industry itself plans to lean heavily into this domain. A workforce that is genuinely curious is a workforce that will never stop improving.
Core Skill 9: Talent Management
Similar to leadership, “talent management” as a skill area is being democratized. This is no longer a competency reserved for Human Resources professionals. In the workplace, it is a critical skill for all managers and team leaders. Talent management involves the ability to identify, develop, and retain individuals’ potential to drive both organizational and personal success. It is the practical application of leadership, empathy, and mentoring.
A manager with strong talent management skills understands that their primary job is not just to manage projects but to grow people. This includes strategic workforce planning on a micro-level, understanding the skills of their team, and identifying future gaps. It involves proactive mentorship, providing employees with stretch assignments, and creating an environment where talent can thrive. In an economy where skills are the key asset, the managers who can effectively cultivate and retain that asset are among the most valuable in the organization.
Core Skill 10: Service Orientation and Customer Service
The final core skill is service orientation and customer service. This skill is about focusing on the needs of others and providing value, whether that “other” is an external, paying customer or an internal colleague. It is the skill of understanding a stakeholder’s needs, managing their expectations, and delivering a high-quality outcome in a professional and empathetic manner. In a complex, interconnected workplace, this “internal customer” mindset is vital.
A data analyst who provides a report to a marketing manager is practicing service orientation. They must understand what the manager needs, deliver the data in a clear and usable format, and be responsive to follow-up questions. This skill is a combination of active listening, communication, and empathy. It ensures that work does not just get “done,” but that it gets done in a way that helps others succeed, which in turn drives the organization’s collective success.
The Variability Across Industries
It is important to note that while these ten skills are the “core” skills on a global average, there is natural variation given the specific demands of each sector. The World Economic Forum’s data allows for this more granular breakdown. For example, a global industry like mining, which is under intense scrutiny for its environmental impact, places a much higher importance on environmental stewardship compared to the global average.
Similarly, an industry like healthcare will place a disproportionately high value on skills like empathy and active listening. A high-tech industry like telecommunications will be intensely focused on resilience, flexibility, and agility due to the breakneck speed of change. Knowing this, organizations must not just adopt the global list; they must use it as a starting point, analyzing their own specific industry and strategic context to determine which skills are the most critical for their unique success.
Core Skills vs. Rising Skills
The World Economic Forum’s research provides two distinct and valuable views of the skills landscape. The first, as covered in the previous parts, is the list of “core skills” deemed most important by employers today. The second, and perhaps more forward-looking, is the list of skills that are “on the rise” during the five-year period from to 2030. To create this list, the WEF cut the data in a different way. It compared how employers feel some skills are increasing or decreasing in value and use, calculating a “net gain” to identify which skills have the greatest growing applicability.
If you compare this new list to the “core” list, you will notice an immediate and significant shake-up in the order and priority. This new list is a “leading indicator,” showing us where the puck is going. The skill area “AI and big data,” for example, misses the top 10 for “core” skills today, but on the “rising” list, it ranks as the number one fastest-growing skill. This signals a massive, impending shift in what employers will be demanding over the next five years.
Rising Skill 1: AI and Big Data
Galvanized by the incredible advancements in generative AI, skills in the artificial intelligence and big data field are, by far, the fastest growing. Employers across the board, but especially in the automotive, aerospace, telecommunications, and professional services industries, are indicating they are especially keen to build up this competency. This is a direct response to the technological driver of change. Companies see the immense potential of AI and data to improve decision-making, optimize operations, and create new products, and they are scrambling to find the talent to make that a reality.
Professionals with these skills can help their employer gather and analyze massive amounts of business intelligence. Building expertise in this domain is a complex, multi-layered endeavor. It means training staff on how to use relevant data analytics tools, programming in languages like Python or R, and becoming familiar with popular artificial intelligence and machine learning frameworks. But it also means building “AI literacy” for the entire workforce, so that all employees know how to use these new tools ethically and effectively.
Rising Skill 2: Networks and Cybersecurity
The second fastest-rising skill is networks and cybersecurity. This skill’s rapid ascent is a direct consequence of the other macro-trends: geoeconomic fragmentation and universal technological adoption. As the report notes, contentious trade relations and geopolitical conflicts are increasing cybersecurity risks. Every organization is a technology organization, and therefore, every organization is a target. This has created a cause for deep concern, as many critical cybersecurity jobs remain vacant. Technology leaders consistently report that cybersecurity is one of the toughest areas to hire for, while the demand for these skills continues to steadily rise.
Networking skills focus on building and managing the systems that enable data exchange, requiring knowledge of protocols and infrastructure. Cybersecurity involves protecting those systems and data from an ever-evolving landscape of threats. This requires skills like threat detection, encryption, vulnerability assessment, and incident response. Together, these skills are essential for ensuring secure, efficient, and resilient digital operations in a high-risk world.
Rising Skill 3: Technological Literacy
Technological literacy, which also appeared on the “core” skills list, is here again in the number three “rising” spot. This shows that this skill is not only important now, but it is also growing in importance at a rapid pace. As technology, particularly AI, becomes more embedded in every job, the baseline level of literacy required to be effective is rising. It is becoming increasingly important for people to be able to fully participate in modern workplace environments.
Skills in this domain allow people to effectively use, evaluate, and understand technology. This is no longer just about using email or a spreadsheet. It now encompasses navigating complex digital tools, understanding the basics of data privacy, being able to critically evaluate information from an AI, and adapting quickly as new technologies are rolled out. This skill is the fundamental enabler of a digitally transformed workforce.
Rising Skill 4: Creative Thinking
Creative thinking is another skill that appears on both the “core” and “rising” lists, reinforcing its durable value. As technology, automation, and AI take over more of the routine, analytical, and repetitive tasks, the primary “human” task that remains is creativity. This is the ability to approach problems with originality, generate unique ideas, and think outside the box. It is the engine of innovation.
The rise of generative AI does not diminish the value of creative thinking; it ampliment. AI can be a powerful tool for creativity, allowing a professional to brainstorm hundreds of ideas or visualize a concept in seconds. But the AI is not the source of the original spark. The human’s imagination is still required to ask the right questions, combine concepts in new ways, and apply creative judgment to overcome challenges or create new opportunities.
Rising Skill 5: Resilience, Flexibility, and Agility
This set of skills, also a “core” competency, is rising in importance for a simple reason: the pace of change is not slowing down. The five macro drivers of disruption are all still in full force. Resilience, flexibility, and agility are the human skills that help people adapt to this constant change, recover quickly from the inevitable setbacks, and remain productive during uncertain times.
These skills are the “meta-skills” that enable lifelong learning. An employee who is resilient and agile is more likely to embrace a new technology or a new business process, rather than resist it. They can manage stress, adjust to new circumstances, and thrive in the fast-paced and challenging situations that are becoming the norm. This is the very definition of a future-ready, adaptable workforce.
Rising Skill 6: Curiosity and Lifelong Learning
This skill set is the engine that powers all other forms of upskilling. An organization can offer the best training programs in the world, but if its employees are not curious and do not have a “lifelong learning” mindset, those programs will fail. This skill is about keeping an open mind, fostering a desire to seek new knowledge, and actively pursuing personal and professional growth.
It is rising in importance because employers realize that the only sustainable solution to the skills gap is to create a culture of learning. They need to hire for curiosity and then foster it. These skills encourage innovation, as curious employees are the ones who find new ways of doing things. It also helps individuals stay engaged and relevant, which is a powerful driver of retention.
Rising Skill 7: Leadership and Social Influence
This skill, which is also a “core” competency, is rising in importance as work becomes more collaborative, less hierarchical, and more project-based. The ability to inspire, guide, and motivate others toward a shared goal is critical. This is not about “command and control” management. It is about building relationships, fostering collaboration, and using influence, not authority, to get things done.
As teams become more distributed, often working remotely, a leader’s ability to create a sense of shared purpose and connection is more difficult and more valuable than ever. This skill is essential for aligning cross-functional teams and navigating the complex “human” side of business transformation.
Rising Skill 8: Talent Management
The rise of “talent management” as a top-ten skill confirms the trend that this is no longer just an HR function. It is a core competency for all managers. In an economy defined by skills gaps and high competition for talent, the managers who can identify, develop, and retain individuals are a massive strategic advantage.
This skill involves strategic workforce planning, proactive mentorship, and creating an environment where employees feel challenged, supported, and can see a clear path for growth. The rise of this skill shows that organizations are realizing they must empower their managers to be “talent multipliers” to survive.
Rising Skill 9: Analytical Thinking
Analytical thinking, the number one “core” skill, is also the number nine “rising” skill. This may seem contradictory, but it makes perfect sense. It is a “core” skill because it is already table stakes. It is a “rising” skill because the demand for it is still growing at a rapid pace.
As AI and big data (the #1 rising skill) become more prevalent, the need for analytical thinking to interpret, question, and act on that data grows in lockstep. The AI can surface the “what,” but a human with strong analytical skills is needed to determine the “so what.” This skill involves breaking down complex problems and using critical reasoning to make informed decisions, a task that becomes more important, not less, in a data-rich world.
Rising Skill 10: Environmental Stewardship
The final skill on the “rising” list is a newcomer and a direct product of the “green transition” macro-trend. Environmental stewardship as a skill area involves the responsibility to manage and protect natural resources sustainably. This is a clear signal that sustainability is moving from a public relations “nice-to-have” to a core operational and strategic concern.
This skill includes practices aimed at reducing environmental impact, fostering conservation, and promoting ecological balance. The industries most focused on this are those with a large environmental footprint, such as oil and gas, chemicals, and agriculture. However, this skill is rising everywhere as regulations tighten, investors demand ESG performance, and customers increasingly prefer sustainable brands.
The Strategic Imperative for Enterprise Learning
The findings from the World Economic Forum, with their stark projections of skills gaps and the clear priorities of employers, converge on a single, powerful conclusion: the development of an enterprise learning program is no longer a secondary HR function, but a central strategic business driver. Developing a future-ready, resilient workforce requires careful thought, executive sponsorship, and long-term planning. It also helps for an organization to understand where it currently stands in terms of its readiness to embrace learning as a strategic tool.
To aid this effort, organizations can benefit from models like a “Learning Maturity Framework.” Such a framework can help a company assess its current state, from a chaotic, “ad-hoc” approach to training, to a fully optimized, data-driven “learning culture.” This self-assessment is the first step in building a realistic and effective plan. Whether you are an HR specialist or the Chief Human Resources Officer, building a genuine learning culture takes time. But the evidence is clear that in the end, it is worth the effort, as it is the only sustainable way to bridge the skills divide.
From Apathy to Anticipation: The Cultural Shift
The organizations that exemplify what a true learning culture means all share a similar story of transformation. Their journey is one of moving their employees from a state of apathy toward training, to one of genuine anticipation. In a mature learning culture, the learning and development team is no longer “chasing” employees, trying to force them to complete mandatory, and often irrelevant, assignments. Instead, employees themselves begin to proactively seek out training. They see learning as a direct benefit, a clear path to career growth, and an essential part of their job.
This cultural shift is the “holy grail” of talent development. It happens when employees trust that the training being offered is relevant, personalized, and will lead to real opportunities. It is fostered when managers are trained as “talent managers” and actively encourage their teams to take time for development. This is the environment where upskilling and reskilling are not seen as a threat, but as an opportunity, and the entire organization becomes more agile and innovative as a result.
Bridging the Divide: From Gap to Strategy
The findings from the Future of Jobs report underscore an urgent need for appropriate reskilling and upskilling strategies to bridge the emerging divides. Such strategies are the essential link between identifying a skill gap and successfully closing it. For HR and learning professionals, these trends are a clear signal to create effective employee development plans that will help them bridge these gaps and support the organization’s transition into the future. This is the practical “how-to” of building a resilient workforce.
The first step is to use the “core” and “rising” skills lists as a guide. An organization must conduct its own internal skills analysis, a “skills inventory,” to see how its current workforce stacks up against these critical competencies. This analysis will reveal the company’s specific, high-priority gaps. Once these gaps are known, the L&D team can move away from a “spray and pray” content catalog and toward targeted “learning journeys” designed to build specific, high-demand skills like “AI and big data” or “leadership and social influence.”
Why Technical Skills Are Not Enough
A critical mistake would be to look at the “rising skills” list and focus only on the new, in-demand technical skills like “AI and big data” or “networks and cybersecurity.” The report itself warns against this. The most successful strategies will be those that help workers transition to roles that blend technical expertise with human-centered capabilities. Technical skills alone are not enough. They are often the skills with the shortest half-life; a programming language that is in high demand today may be replaced in five years.
The durable, long-term value lies in the human-centered skills: analytical thinking, creative thinking, leadership, and resilience. These are the skills that allow an employee to learn the next technical skill. They are the “learning to learn” meta-skills. Therefore, the most effective training programs will be “T-shaped,” “M-shaped,” or “comb-shaped,” combining deep technical expertise in one or more areas with a broad foundation of these transferable, professional skills.
The Critical Role of Human-Centered Capabilities
The future of work is not one of a “robot” workforce. As technology, and specifically AI, automates more routine technical and cognitive tasks, the value of uniquely human capabilities is paradoxically increasing. The skills that AI cannot replicate—empathy, active listening, creative problem-solving, and inspiring leadership—are becoming the key differentiators. These are the skills that support a more adaptable and resilient workforce in an increasingly technology-driven landscape.
This means that a company’s upskilling strategy for its technical staff must include modules on leadership, communication, and collaboration. Conversely, the upskilling strategy for its non-technical or “business” staff must include modules on technological literacy and data analysis. The goal is to break down the old silos between “tech” and “business” and create a single, integrated workforce where everyone can speak both languages. This “blended” professional is the key to unlocking the full value of new technologies.
The Future of Work: A Human-AI Partnership
Ultimately, the vision of the future that emerges from this data is not a dystopian one of mass unemployment, but a more optimistic one of human-AI partnership. As technology takes on the role of a “tool,” the human’s role is elevated to that of the “strategist,” “creator,” “analyst,” and “leader.” The future-ready workforce is one that understands how to leverage artificial intelligence to augment its own abilities, to make smarter decisions, and to solve problems that were previously unsolvable.
This requires a profound shift in how we think about jobs, from a static list of “tasks” to a dynamic portfolio of “skills.” It requires a new commitment from employers to act as “learning organizations” and a new commitment from employees to be “lifelong learners.” For those who are willing to embrace this new, blended model of technical expertise and human-centered capability, the future is not a threat. It is an opportunity.
Conclusion
Developing this kind of enterprise learning program is a massive undertaking. It requires careful thought, strategic planning, and, often, a supportive partner to help navigate the transition. If your organization is ready to move from a reactive state of “training” to a proactive culture of “learning,” it is important to find partners and platforms that can support this vision.
A modern learning platform should be highly customizable, allowing you to build learning paths that are unique to your industry and strategic needs. It must be able to integrate with your existing HR software, creating a seamless experience for employees. Most importantly, it must provide clear, data-driven indicators of how training is making an impact, allowing you to measure the “closing” of skill gaps and demonstrate a clear return on investment. This is how you build the future-ready, resilient workforce that will thrive in and beyond.