Dominant recent trends impacting on jobs and labor markets - An Overview

ABSTRACT This special double issue of the International Journal of Training Research with the theme ‘emerging labor markets of the future—reimagining skills development and training’ contains 13 articles that provide a comprehensive overview of global and regional trends that impact on emerging jobs and labor markets of the future. With particular reference to Asia, the papers examine promising strategies in skills for jobs that address these trends. The articles provide a snapshot of the changing dynamics of labor markets of the future and the importance of reimagining not just the content of skills development and training but also the mechanisms by which they can be delivered to prepare a future-ready workforce. The key attributes possessed by such a globally relevant talent pool for the workforce of the future include basic digital skills and literacy; learnability skills; skills needed for greening economies; skills required for engaging in Industry 4.0 occupations; skills for next-generation infrastructure and services; skills for technology-infused manufacturing sectors; and broad-based soft skills that help to improve workplace effectiveness, such as skills for teamwork, problem-solving, creativity, and design-thinking. All these will have an important and far-reaching impact on future directions for technical and vocational education and training in the region that policy makers and practitioners need to take into account.