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Job Requirements: Social Intelligence and Transdisciplinarity

Posted: 9/7/2011

Dr. Tracey Wilen-Daugenti, vice president and managing director of the University of Phoenix Research Institute.

(NAPSI)—Social intelligence, transdisciplinarity, cognitive load management, new-media literacy—if you don’t understand these terms, you may have a tough time in the job market. If you do have these skills, you may also need novel and adaptive thinking and cross-cultural competency.

These are just some of the skills recently identified as essential to the workforce in the next decade.

The University of Phoenix Research Institute brought together thought leaders from IBM, Manpower, StanfordUniversity and the Institute for the Future for a webinar to shed light on technical and societal shifts that will require new job skills.

Panelist Marina Gorbis, executive director of the Institute for the Future, outlined six key drivers of societal change and 10 skill areas that will reshape the workforce in the next 10 years.

Global connectivity, smart machines and social media are just some of the drivers reshaping how business leaders think about work and the skills their employees will need.

The research has implications for individuals, educational institutions, industry leaders and policymakers.

Workers in the future will need to be adaptable, lifelong learners and demonstrate foresight in navigating a rapidly shifting work landscape. Educational institutions must also demonstrate foresight and recognize that work skills are changing.

For example, if not already doing so, they should consider integrating new-media literacy into education programs.

The results also have implications for business. Human resource professionals, for example, should reconsider traditional methods for identifying critical skills, as well as selecting and developing talent.

For policymakers, the research demonstrates the need to prioritize educational policies that promote lifelong learning and constant skill renewal.

Dr. Tracey Wilen-Daugenti, vice president and managing director of the University of Phoenix Research Institute, says to prepare America’s workforce for the jobs of the future, “Individuals, educators, business leaders and policymakers must anticipate emerging trends and work together to promote skill development across industry sectors and geographic regions.”

To access the recorded webinar, visit www.chronicle.com/webinars/universityofphoenix4.

To download the Future Work Skills: 2020 research report or executive summary, visit www.phoenix.edu/institute.

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