Three major trends are affecting how human capital is developed and deployed around the world.

1) Globalization and technology are accelerating job creation and destruction.

2) Education and training systems, having remained largely static for decades, are not keeping pace with these shifts.

3) Outdated cultural norms and institutional inertia create roadblocks for half of the world’s talent. These factors together exacerbate income inequality and fuel political and social turmoil. But this need not be a foregone conclusion.

Leaders can get ahead of this transition by acting today. This White Paper lays out a common agenda for action on transforming education ecosystems, advancing the care economy and facilitating the transition to a new world of work. It is the outcome of the World Economic Forum’s Dialogue Series on Shaping the Future of Education, Gender and Work, drawing upon submissions by leaders and experts who engaged in the dialogue, as well as the latest thinking from international organizations, think tanks, businesses and other stakeholders.