It’s fair to say that COVID-19 has rocked many businesses to their core. Previously affluent and stable companies have had to make some tough decisions about the future, whether that’s adapting their business model online to respond to customer need, or taking the unhappy step to close their doors permanently. Whatever route businesses have decided upon has, and still is affecting people’s careers up and down the country.
And whether you’re a business owner without a viable business, a former employee in need of a new job or a school leaver scouring the classifieds, you’re likely wondering what the future holds. Perhaps now is a good time to consider a career change?
Even before the pandemic, the world’s job market was transforming in reaction to the steady rise of digitalisation. And with remote working becoming the new normal, the job market has shifted again. The World Economic Forum has suggested that 50% of the workforce will need reskilling by 2025, and that the range of skills critical to success has altered, with a new emphasis on critical thinking, problem-solving and self-management.
But there is good news: from catastrophe, comes opportunity in the shape of new industry sectors that are performing well and seeking new talent, such as construction, the Green Economy and digital. And hard-won traditional skills learned in the workplace are not obsolete either; leadership, people management, innovation and creativity will always be required in any job market.
So, what next? The other great news is that Wales offers a bucket-load of opportunities for people who want to re-write their career and develop new transferable skills. For school leavers, apprenticeships can prove an excellent way to gain practical training and experience. For those recently unemployed or made redundant, ReAct funding is available from the Welsh government for retraining and reskilling. If you’re interested in studying part- time for a change in career, Working Wales offers fully-funded learning in the form of Personal Learning Accounts. More general learning can be accessed from OpenLearn, FutureLearn and Udemy.
The first step in any career or learning change is the hardest. But what if there were an app that created tailored career routes based on your skills, experience and qualifications? Or an app that identified the qualifications needed for a chosen career path? That’s the next lot of good news: there is! Our careers app OPUS by iungo helps you to design step-by-step career routes into more than one thousand roles across seven sectors, comparing university, technical education and apprenticeships within the app to find the best option for you. It’s really simple to use and free to download.
We also cater for undergrad engineering students, in partnership with the University of Wales Trinity St David, helping them to develop intrapreneurial skills through links to local industry partners. So, if you’re interested in a change in career and want to optimise your potential, take a look at iungo Solutions.
iungo Solutions. Design your career, create your future.
