COVID and Reskilling – An opportunity ?

Containment measures imposed to stop the spread of COVID-19 have compelled businesses to lay off or significantly reduce the working hours of many workers. This is an opportunity to reskill workers so they are in a better position to tackle the new business, employment, and technological realities that will be more mainstream once the crisis is over.

Like many governments around the world, Canada has taken extraordinary steps to free up liquidity for firms and has introduced a wage subsidy program to cushion the shock and avoid layoffs. This will put businesses in a better position to resume production and reintroduce supply chains once the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic fade.

But, without the required technical digital skills, firms, especially SMEs, can be left behind. As such, policy-makers should consider introducing measures that encourage the reskilling of businesses and workers as part of the longer-term COVID-19 response plans.

We’ve already seen such programs introduced in other countries. For example, the Philippines has implemented a Technical Education and Skills Development Authority Scholarship Program to help upskill and reskill workers through free online courses. In Canada, the Future Skills Centre is establishing a program in partnership with the Ontario Tourism Education Corporation to retrain workers who have been displaced in the hospitality sector.

Chosen excerpts by Job Market Monitor. Read the whole story @ COVID-19 Global Supply Chain Disruptions – A Catalyst for Long-Term Changes?