- Workforce preparedness is becoming a strategic priority as workplace technology advances and skills needs change; employers can help people participate in that growth, rather than adapt to disruption.
- Skills development is most valuable when it connects directly to real jobs, with initiatives that provide clearer pathways between learning and employment.
- Young people need better visibility into emerging careers, the skills those careers require and the routes available to reach them.
Helping people prepare for meaningful work is one of the most important investments we can make in the future. Work builds confidence, creates opportunity and strengthens communities. It also gives people the ability to adapt as industries evolve and new technologies reshape the world around them.
Today, that ability to adapt is becoming increasingly important. Artificial intelligence (AI) is changing how work gets done and creating new possibilities for productivity and growth. At the same time, advanced manufacturing, semiconductors, energy infrastructure and other high-growth sectors are creating demand for new skills and capabilities.
The opportunity is not simply to help people keep pace with change. It is to help them build the confidence, experience and skills needed to participate in the opportunities that change creates.
More workers use AI daily but many feel less confident in their ability to use it effectively. Closing that gap is one of the greatest opportunities employers have today. Employers can help people use new technology with confidence while developing the specific capabilities industries need.
Strong hiring demand creates an opportunity to act
The latest ManpowerGroup Employment Outlook Survey shows that employers remain focused on growth. For the fourth quarter of 2026, 43% expect to increase staffing and hiring intentions improved from the previous quarter and the same period last year. Employers across industries also report increased hiring of entry-level workers compared with 2025.
Employers still report shortages of qualified candidates and mismatches between experience and job requirements. Among those reducing entry-level hiring, the need for experienced candidates who can contribute immediately ranks ahead of AI-driven automation as a reason for pulling back.
These findings present real opportunity. Employers need skilled talent and people need careers where they can keep learning and growing. Connecting learning more directly to employment can give people relevant experience while helping industries develop the capabilities they need.
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Skills development has greater value when it leads somewhere
Effective skills development begins with real workforce demand. In advanced manufacturing, that means preparing people to work with robotics and automation as production environments change.
For example, semiconductor growth requires technical talent across fabrication, engineering, field service, software and operations. Energy infrastructure and data centres are creating demand for specialized capabilities.
The ManpowerGroup Global Manufacturing Outlook found that 72% of industrial manufacturers are struggling to find skilled talent as robotics and smart manufacturing reshape workforce needs. At the same time, 45% of manufacturing workers worry that AI and automation could replace their roles within two years.
https://www.weforum.org/stories/education-and-skills/how-we-build-workforce-preparedness-for-the-industries-shaping-the-future/?utm_source
