Upskilling and reskilling crucial for equal employment opportunities

SDG 10

Global HR services provider Randstad promotes equal employment opportunities and in doing so, contributes to achieving Sustainable Development Goal 10 (Reduced inequalities). The coronavirus pandemic is having a huge impact on the employed, but employees can also be very resilient. ‘The crisis has sparked a drive to come up with solutions’, says Marlou Leenders, Global Sustainability Manager at Randstad Global. ‘Upskilling and reskilling are more relevant than ever.’

Marlou Leenders, Global Sustainability Manager at Randstad Global

The coronavirus crisis is accelerating the digital transformation

Randstad has studied the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on employees and summarised its findings in a special COVID-19 edition of the Randstad WorkMonitor. Among other things, the findings show that the Netherlands is in the world’s top 3 when it comes to employers facilitating digital working practices for their staff. The research also reveals that there is a huge demand among employees for upskilling and reskilling (see box), not only to develop the digital skills needed for ‘the new normal’, but also to avoid unemployment resulting from the coronavirus crisis. Randstad plays an important role in moving people from sectors where jobs are disappearing to other sectors experiencing staff shortages.

The crisis also provides opportunities to tackle inequality in the workplace

‘There’s nothing new about groups of employees being vulnerable, but the crisis has made that vulnerability all the more obvious,’ says Marlou Leenders. ‘Young people and women are among those most at risk of losing their jobs. They account for a large proportion of the workforce in the sectors hit hardest by the crisis, such as tourism and the hotel and catering industry. New graduates also have more difficulty finding work.’ During the lockdown in the spring, low-income workers were more likely to have had their jobs cut than higher-income workers, for whom it was easier to work from home. This is also a difficult time for people with a disability or illness, since their freedom of movement is even more restricted than usual.

‘It’s important not to lose sight of vulnerable groups now. Being a good employer means taking care of all your employees so that they have equal employment opportunities. Upskilling and reskilling are crucial in this context.’ Leenders stresses that this is not only true now but has long been a trend. ‘Automation and new technologies are drivers of change in the working world. The pandemic is accelerating that change. Now is truly the time to offer employees reskilling and upskilling opportunities. Having employees with the right skills is crucial for the future success of organisations.’

Randstad has been contacting employees directly in recent months to offer training so that they can work in other sectors. Stewardesses, for example, are currently being retrained to work in health care. Nevertheless, it can be difficult to persuade people to reinvent themselves. Upskilling and reskilling are also a personal responsibility that everyone must accept.

Inclusive leadership is the way forward

‘Great strides have been made in recent years towards an inclusive workplace culture, not only in terms of gender equality but also cultural diversity and inclusiveness for LGBTQ+ and people with disabilities. The COVID-19 crisis threatens to divert attention away from inequality because there are so many other problems. At the same time, issues are becoming more visible and solidarity is seen as more important, which could help to reduce inequality in the long term.’

Leenders believes that to create the right workplace environment, companies need to consider their purpose and connect it to their long-term objectives. ‘They need to start by making a clear statement about inclusiveness and showing leadership in that area,’ she says. ‘Diversity and inclusiveness deliver so many long-term benefits. It’s high time for organisations to take real action on this and I hope that the crisis will give them an additional push, with upskilling and reskilling helping to keep vulnerable groups on board.’

Upskilling and reskilling

Upskilling involves someone learning additional relevant skills allowing them to continue to do their current work or job in a new and more up-to-date way. It mainly means learning digital and analytical skills and adapting to the transformation that organisations are currently undergoing. Reskilling involves someone learning new skills so that they can do different work or a different job.