In 2020, the global workforce lost an equivalent of 255 million full-time jobs, an estimated $3.7 trillion in wages and 4.4% of global GDP, a staggering toll on lives and livelihoods. While vaccine rollout has begun and the growth outlook is predicted to improve, an even socio-economic recovery is far from certain.
The choices made by policymakers, business leaders, workers and learners today will shape societies for years to come. At this critical crossroads, leaders must consciously, proactively and urgently lay the foundations of a new social contract, rebuilding our economies so they provide opportunity for all.
In this context, the Forum remains committed to working with the public- and private sectors to provide better skills, jobs and education to 1 billion people by 2030 through initiatives to close the skills gap and prepare for the ongoing technological transformation of the future of work.
Global youth expect better access to skills. Here’s how businesses can respond
A survey by PwC suggests that only 42% of young people who have skills in short supply say they see their employer actively upskilling workers to fill skills gaps. How can the business co...
Education: Girls are catching up with boys in sub-Saharan Africa
While levels of educational participation could improve across the board, the number of girls completing school in sub-Saharan Africa is on the increase.
Online learning: What next for higher education after COVID-19?
Universities faced challenges with the move to online learning due to COVID-19, but we'd be wise to learn from it to improve education for the future.
Here are 5 things to look forward to in the future - according to 1,000 experts
Experts explore what the world might look like in 2025, and suggest how policymakers, decision-makers and the public can achieve these ‘positive futures’.
Why this city in Zambia has been nicknamed 'Amsterdam'
But their popularity has resulted in young boys abandoning formal education to pedal bicycles, in order to earn money for their families.
Why you should build better relationships at the negotiating table
An all-or-nothing approach is considered the standard for negotiations, but a collaborative negotiation process is a better method, argues a Wharton professor.
These 10 steps can help universities tackle gender inequality
The Times Higher Education report on global university gender equality performance has found that women are still underrepresented in universities.
The first African and Black winner of the 'Nobel prize for architecture' receives a hero's welcome
Diébédo Francis Kéré received a hero's welcome in his hometown after becoming the first African and Black winner of the prestigious Pritzker Architecture Prize.
How many children in the world are getting a proper education?
Research suggests that many children – especially in the world’s poorest countries – learn very little in school, with illiteracy rates reaching up to 90%.
How extended reality - or 'XR' - has transformed workforce training
The pandemic has led to a 25% and 18% decrease in informal and non-formal learning but XR training has proven successful engaging people in the work place.
Children are making their families more eco-friendly. And brands are noticing
Children are pushing parents to recycle and cycle short distances. Brands are noticing and using kids in campaigns highlighting environmental credentials.
3 ways to reimagine degrees to increase equity, access and job readiness
Digital transformation of higher education institutions can increase access to education when also reimagining degree programmes and admission criteria.