Change — there’s no way to stop it. And the rate of change affecting our working lives has never been more rapid. Globalization, data proliferation and technological innovation have all reshaped industries virtually overnight. Emerging technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) and the Metaverse have impacted our workforces and it is predicted to create enormous skills gaps in the near future.

According to the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) Future of Jobs Report 2023, employers anticipate nearly one-half (44%) of workers’ skills will be disrupted in the next five years. This poses a substantial challenge for learning and development (L&D) professionals.

The question is: How can you prepare your workforce for jobs that don’t even exist yet?

An organization can never fully “future-proof” an L&D program: Much like a watch is never truly waterproof but is water resistant, there are steps they can take to be more adaptable for the future. This article will review how online assessments can help prepare your workforce and business for evolving future demands.

Understanding the “Why” and “How” of Future-Proofing

Before thinking about devising a robust L&D program, it’s important to know what to train your workforce on and what the best method to deliver the training might be. With the help of assessments, L&D leaders can better evaluate their workforce’s knowledge, skills or performance related to a specific job role or task. Like a pre-test, L&D leaders can use the data from the test to determine training content and to accurately identify skills gaps.

Developing an assessment strategy.

Any training program, regardless of sector, is only as good as the knowledge and learning retained. Key to improving knowledge retention is to have an assessment strategy in place. Assessments can help you better understand your baseline and direct L&D efforts, which can play a critical role in reskilling and upskilling a workforce.

Key tips on building a robust assessment strategy:

• Plan to conduct assessments before, during and after training to ensure you’re able to get a clear indication of the effectiveness of training and retained knowledge.
• Consider how a particular assessment represents what skills are being assessed and the competency required (i.e., testing a skill in as close to a real-world scenario as possible).
• Test “little and often” as part of a wider continuous learning or “micro-credentialing” process. This will help with learner success and will keep employers up to speed on employees’ competencies and/or identify emerging skills gaps.
• Equity should always be at the heart of your strategy. Assessments should be fair and always account for less abled learners or learners who may have to take an assessment in their non-primary language.

It may feel counterintuitive to say, but assessment and certification can help bring teams together.  We’ve seen that the sense of accomplishment and the acknowledgement of achievement are great not only for professional and personal development but also fantastic drivers of team success.

Learning leaders today are aware of how hard and costly it can be to find and attract new talent. Skills development is a big boost to retaining talent and by regularly conducting assessments, organizations can send a message to employees that continuous L&D is important and valued.

The Only Thing That Doesn’t Change Is “Change”

New technologies and trends will continue to emerge in our business world and will have a significant impact across all industries.

One thing we can anticipate in the future is change — with new skills and capabilities to learn. In a world where change is always constant, agility along with the ability to adapt quickly is what separates successful companies and individuals from everyone else around.

Now more than there ever before, there is a huge opportunity for L&D to be at the forefront of a company’s innovation. By prioritizing organizational agility and leveraging assessments, L&D leaders are able to ensure their people have the skills needed to thrive today and in the future. The skills revolution is here, but with the right tools and programs in place, your organization will be able to stay ahead of the curve.