Future Oriented Skills in the Spotlight at the International Cooperation Forum Switzerland 2023
Tim leads panellists in discussion on future-oriented skills at the International Cooperation Forum Switzerland 2023
On 15th February Tim Gamper of Gamper Smith Associates moderated a session on Future Oriented Skills Meet Development at Switzerland’s annual International Cooperation Forum held in Geneva, an event that spotlighted the importance of education in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. Opened by Swiss Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis, the forum brought together close to a thousand delegates in person from around the globe and many more online.
Featuring case studies from the Ukraine, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Zimbabwe, the session panellists brought expertise from academia, the NGO sector, private industry and the International Labour Organisation (ILO), discussing future skills and the role of international development.
Tim’s key take aways from moderating this fascinating session were:
Context matters: there are major global disruptors, such as the advancement of technology and digitalisation and climate change, but how these impact on future labour markets and ultimately impact peoples’ livelihoods depends on the context, including political economy and governance.
It’s not just about skills: future skills can be a powerful instrument for change only if they are understood and developed through a broader lens, including work in the economic, employment and social space. Skills interventions on their own are not likely to bring about sustainable positive outcomes.
Partnerships are key: the solution to future-oriented skills lies less in the ‘what’ of skills, but in the ‘how’ of partnerships across the education-work spectrum. In particular, partnerships with the private sector are crucial to close an important funding gap, tap into innovative knowledge and networks, and in order to find solutions which last beyond project timelines.
An evolving role for development partners: development partners will have an important role in the future, not least to meet global commitments in line with a just transition to a greener and more sustainable economy. This commitment must be long-term, with shared responsibility for agenda setting with local partners. There will be less of a service delivery role for development organisations, and increasingly a role as facilitators of partnerships and networks.