Training Industry Magazine - May/June 2021 - 3

KEN TAYLOR

FROM THE
EDITOR

CLOSING THE SKILLS GAP

Technological advancements and
the impacts from the pandemic are
changing the way we work, and in
turn, changing the skills employees
need to perform their jobs. The World
Economic Forum estimates that 50% of
employees will need to be reskilled by
2025, and many business leaders are
expecting those skills to be learned on
the job.

MARKET LEADERS
ARE RESKILLING
THEIR WORKFORCE
TO EMBRACE NEXT
GENERATION SKILL
SETS THAT CREATE
A COMPETITIVE
ADVANTAGE THROUGH
PEOPLE.

To prepare for these changes, many
organizations are prioritizing reskilling
and upskilling initiatives this year.
In fact, LinkedIn Learning's 2021
Workplace Learning Report cited
upskilling and reskilling as the top
priority for learning and development
(L&D) professionals this year. Our own
reader survey results echo this finding,
with 50% of respondents revealing
that closing skill gaps is a top area of
focus for their organization in 2021.
This edition of Training Industry
Magazine focuses on this important
issue and examines how L&D can
close current skills gaps to enable
employees to perform their jobs as
the business evolves. From putting
continuous learning principles into
practice to building organizational
resilience, L&D plays an integral role in
preparing employees to excel in their
current and future roles.
The pandemic may have ushered in
a host of challenges and change, but
it also illuminated the weaknesses
and gaps that already existed within
organizations. Most organizations are

beginning to determine where they
are and where they want the company
to go. Market leaders have already
begun the journey of reskilling their
workforce to embrace next generation
skill sets that create a competitive
advantage through people.
Whether
it's
preparing
your
organization with the skills to manage
remote employees, critical thinking
and
problem-solving,
embracing
digital fluency, building resiliency
and stress management, or even
improving proficiency on existing
and evolving corporate systems,
the challenge ahead is significant.
Organizations are defining their
priority skill sets to provide focus and
a road map to creating a future-ready
workforce that is prepared for the
changes ahead.
The world of work will only continue
to evolve, so L&D must prioritize
employee skills development moving
forward. L&D must partner with
company leadership to identify future
areas of growth and expansion for the
business to ensure employees are
ready to execute on their vision.
As always, we love to hear your
thoughts on the perspectives shared in
the magazine. Please feel free to send
any suggestions for us to consider in
future issues.
Ken Taylor is the president and editor
in chief of Training Industry, Inc.
Email Ken.

T R A I N I N G I N DUSTR Y MAGAZ INE - CLOSING SKILLS GAPS I WWW. T RAI NINGINDU S T RY . C OM/ MAGAZ I NE

https://www.trainingindustry.com/magazine

Training Industry Magazine - May/June 2021

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