Changing Job Skills in a Changing World

Abstract

Digitalization, automation, robotization and green transition are key current drivers changing the labour markets and the structure of skills needed to perform tasks within jobs. Mitigating skills shortages in this dynamic world requires an adequate response from key stakeholders. However, recommendations derived from the traditional data sources, which lack granularity or are available with a significant time lag, may not address the emerging issues rightly. At the same time, society’s increasing reliance on the use of the Internet for day-to-day needs, including the way individuals search for a job and match with employers, generates a considerable amount of timely and high granularity data. Analysing such nontraditional data as content of online job advertisements may help understand emerging issues across sectors and regions and allow policy makers to act accordingly. In this chapter, we are drawing on experience setting the Cedefop project based on big data and presenting examples of other numerous research projects to confirm the potential of using nontraditional sources of information in addressing a variety of research questions related to the topic of changing skills in a changing world.