changes in the office, some of you might already be skilled at using such technologies.
In a recent report by City & Guilds, Professor Sa’ ad Medhat, chief executive of NEF, The Innovation Institute, suggests we also need to create a new breed of worker and that the NEF calls them“ technologists of the future”.
He wrote:“ You may be wondering what a technologist of the future would look like. Well, she( and I say‘ she’ because attracting a more diverse workforce is also essential) will be adaptable, with the confidence to embrace new ways of working; she ' ll have an entrepreneurial mindset, be able to find new applications for technology; she ' ll have high functioning skills in applying logic, working with design and collaborating with her co-workers. She will also have a good level of dexterity – she ' ll be able to make things and self-manage.
“ Perhaps most crucially – she won ' t be tied to one sector, but will be able to move in and out of different industries. She will be able to operate around a variety of disciplines in response to changing economic demand.”
Therefore, when thinking about the future it is evident that we need to understand the shifting landscape of skill requirements and make links between work and the learning imperative.
LIFELONG LEARNING AND SKILLS
The demand to rapidly and continuously update knowledge to move in and out of jobs will require a new mindset for learning. Emphasis will be placed on employees taking greater personal responsibility for developing and updating their skills rather than relying on employers to fund courses. This means being personally prepared to invest time and money in your learning, using weekends and holidays, or taking dedicated time out to learn.
This is where lifelong learning comes in – it is not a new phenomenon; we’ ve been using the term for more than 15 years. But the difference is that the digital ages requires a rapidly changing skill set to meet the needs of the continuously evolving global economy.
In the past, education was about imparting knowledge; today it is about providing the“ intelligence and skills to navigate an increasingly uncertain and volatile employment market,” according to the Institute of Directors.
A fast-paced global economy requires workers with the flexibility and agility to adapt to constant change, rather than follow a traditional progressive career path.
EMBRACE OPPORTUNITIES
Taking responsibility for managing your learning will open up opportunities to reshape your potential throughout life. Studies have found that lifelong learning has positive outcomes for individuals, communities and the economy. On an individual level, learning has been shown to improve fulfilment, wellbeing and self-confidence, according to the Government Office for Science report The Future of Skills and Lifelong Learning.
Lifelong learning can be linked to your continuing professional development( CPD), so be open to and take advantage of new and different approaches to learning, such as self-directed, bite-sized learning, peer-to-peer( networking) learning and technology enabled training. CPD will not only help you to improve your knowledge, skills and competence in the workplace but it will also help you to achieve your career goals.
UKCES’ report says you should not be afraid to jump across specialist knowledge boundaries, as technologies
and disciplines will converge. It adds:“ Focus on developing key skills and attributes that will be at a premium, including resilience, adaptability, resourcefulness, enterprise, cognitive skills( such as problem solving), and the core business skills for project-based employment.”
Other areas to develop include skills such as global languages, advanced digital skills, and social and emotional learning, according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. In its Trends Shaping Education report, it also says“ leading and collaborating within multigenerational workforces and multigenerational groups” will be important.
GAIN QUALIFICATIONS
Changes in the system have allowed people to stay in education for longer and leave with better qualifications than before. According to the Chartered Institute of Professional Development, the average level of qualifications has risen across all occupations, and the number of jobs in higher level occupations is also rising. This means that we will soon be competing with more highly qualified people for jobs.
In addition, skilled professionals will face increasing competition from an equally skilled global workforce – gaining certificates will become important to guarantee qualification for jobs.
In this environment, gaining certification and higher levels of qualification is recommended, given the investment of your time and money.
UKCES said:“ People moving in and out of learning will continue. In particular, when people develop portfolio careers, they need to be able to convert their qualifications or build upon the ones they have.”
IMPLICATIONS FOR PAS
According to Melba Duncan, management consultant at the Duncan Group, administrative resources will be rapidly reallocated and redefined. She believes that being a PA“ is a career option with a rewarding future and, surprisingly perhaps, is less vulnerable to layoffs and restructurings than other positions”.
The future is unpredictable and exciting, and will shape and develop our profession. Technological changes, disruptions and lifelong learning provide clues to help develop a picture of what the world of work will look like.
The way these changes place a premium on particular skills, such as the ability to adapt or embrace change, and the acquisition / combination of new competences and learning suggests that how we manage learning will be vital in the future.
A change of mindset regarding learning and training, with the onus on taking personal responsibility, will open the door to control our personal and professional development, so we can adapt, change and thrive in today’ s competitive economy. The future is here, the future is now. The biggest risk for PAs is standing still. E
Elizabeth Wakeling is a Business Administration Lecturer with over 25 years’ teaching experience. She is Principal Tutor and Head of Secretarial Studies at Beckenham College and UK Chairman of European Management Assistants( EUMA), the leading professional association for Management and Personal Assistants across Europe.
INFO www. uk. euma. org
OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2016 | WWW. EXECUTIVEPA. COM. AU
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