Days when our future career was determined solely by a school or university diploma are long gone. Today, specific skills – what we can actually do – are crucial. Competences, which are not usually described in diplomas or CVs, are becoming more and more valuable. Microcredentials that might document our unique abilities are key here. 

The most wanted skills in the age of AI

The topic of so-called future competencies receives a lot of attention in conversations about the changes in today’s labour market. We are wondering which professions and skills will no longer be needed and which will take their place in a world dominated by new technologies, especially artificial intelligence. Interestingly, the competences identified by experts as those that will be the most wanted soon can hardly be found on university diplomas or job candidates’ CVs today. 

A study by Adobe, ‘The Creative Edge: How Digital Credentials Unlock Emerging Skills in The Age of AI’, found that the three most desired skills of the future are:

• creative problem-solving,
• visual communication,
• smooth navigation in the digital world.

According to the World Economic Forum’s 2023 Future of Jobs Report, creativity is already the second most wanted skill by employers. The Future of Jobs Report further indicates that the ten competencies that will become increasingly important in the years to come (scope to 2027) include among others:

• curiosity and lifelong learning,
• resilience and flexibility,
• motivation and self-awareness.

Skills-based employment

The emphasis on the specific skills of candidates marks a change for both job seekers and employers. Skills-based hiring is becoming an increasingly popular strategy. A clear year-on-year increase in the use of this method can be observed. As the Skills-Based Hiring report by Test Gorilla shows, in 2024, up to 81 percent of companies worldwide preferred skills-based hiring. In 2023, it was 73 percent, while in 2022 it was 56 percent. 

A survey conducted by a global organizational consulting firm Korn Ferry found that 57 percent of the organisations queried considered this method of employee selection to be the most suited to the changes happening around us. These include the conditions of many professions, the growing shortage of desirable skills in candidates, and the increasing importance of short forms of online learning. According to Korn Ferry’s analysis of employer statements, diversity and inclusivity will be important hiring factors in 2025, which will emphasise the value of skills-based hiring even more. Regardless of variables like gender, this approach unmistakably results in building teams of individuals with the highest level of competence. This is important information for all those who are or will be involved in job recruitment processes. 

Empower yourself with microcredentials

Therefore, how do we demonstrate our skills when we are used to the idea that a resume mainly consists of our educational and professional career thus far, e.g. our various jobs and workplaces, as well as the educational stages and degrees we have earned? Microcredentials that are being developed by the Educational Research Institute might be the solution. They demonstrate specific skills acquired in various circumstances, not only at school or university but also, for example, during training, courses or through self-education. It is microcredentials, especially in digital form, that will soon be an indispensable addition to a job applicant’s information, as they will allow an employer to find out what a person really knows – not just what course of study they have completed. 

‘We are convinced that ‘Empower yourself with microcredentials’ is a way to strengthen your professional and personal potential. This development is consistent with global and European trends in education and the labour market. At the Educational Research Institute, we are developing a microcredential standard and the companies participating in the pilot project have started to issue their first microcredentials. We are also involved in the promotion of a public and free tool we have developed – Odznaka+ – the first application for issuing and collecting microcredentials’ – concludes Michał Nowakowski, leader of the project ‘Microcredentials – piloting a new solution to support lifelong learning’.

Sources:

1. The Creative Edge: How Digital Credentials Unlock Emerging Skills in The Age of AI, https://blog.adobe.com/en/publish/2024/02/22/how-digital-credentials-unlock-emerging-skills-age-ai
2. The Future of Jobs Report, https://www.weforum.org/publications/the-future-of-jobs-report-2023/
3. Skills-Based Hiring, https://www.testgorilla.com/skills-based-hiring/state-of-skills-based-hiring-2024/
4. The New Skils Landscape, https://www.kornferry.com/insights/featured-topics/organizational-transformation/the-new-skills-landscape