The next major in-demand workplace skill

Peter du ToitI'm the founder of FutureWork IQ where I spend my time assisting businesses to design digital workplaces or “offices in the cloud.” These environments enable companies to allow flexible and remote working for their teams. I also teach the digital literacy, fluency, communication and collaboration skills needed to work in these modern technology-rich workplaces.

Data from reports on skills (eg the World Economic Forum Job Skills Report and the LinkedIn Economic Graph) have identified these high demand skills:

Data Analytics/Science
Creative Intelligence (Complex Problem Solving, Creative Thinking, Creativity)
Digital Literacy

The importance of these is set to grow exponentially.

We need to add another skill to this mix: Carbon Literacy — defined as “the awareness of climate change and the climate impacts of mankind’s [& businesses] everyday actions.”

This decade we have a tiny window of opportunity to keep global heating below 2°C. In order to do so, we are going to need to decouple revenue generation from fossil fuels and transition to clean energy.

Your business is going to need a clear picture of what your current emissions are and produce a roadmap to end those and transition operations to renewables. The faster you do this the more disruption you will avoid.

In the South African context we have a unique set of issues. (See Chris Yelland: You have to take responsibility for your own electricity future in South Africa – Expert)