🛠️ Skills and Workforce Futures #09

HolonIQ is now tracking reskilling and upskilling initiatives that are critical in bridging workforce gaps. Impact industries are rapidly evolving, fueled by technological advancements, decarbonization, geopolitical dynamics, and socio-economic factors. These sectors require considerable workforce/professional development initiatives to enhance workers' capabilities, boost economic growth, and promote social well-being. Read on for this week’s insights.

🌎 Global Labor Market Trends

👩‍💻 India is introducing a pilot program to provide vocational training to adolescent girls, aiming to integrate them into the workforce. In collaboration with the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship and the Ministry of Women and Child Development, the program will train 3,800 girls across 27 districts in 19 states. Designed to boost women's labor force participation and promote gender inclusivity in the economy, the initiative offers incentives such as coverage of boarding and lodging expenses, travel reimbursements, and post-placement stipends to encourage participation. 

👷 Brazil achieved a record unemployment rate of 6.6% in the last quarter of 2024, marking a positive trend in the labor market. This decrease aligns with forecasts, indicating a promising path toward recovery for Brazil's economy. Government spending has boosted consumer demand, leading to increased business operations, improved hiring prospects, and reduced unemployment rates.

🧑‍🏭 Hanoi aims to create 169,000 new jobs in 2025, reduce urban unemployment to below 3%, and increase the proportion of trained workers to 75%. The city will implement policies to support labor market recovery and development, focusing on social welfare, labor market development, and workforce strengthening. 255 job fairs are planned to create 50,600 job opportunities, including 4,600 overseas positions.

🌿 Green Skills Map 

HolonIQ has launched the Green Skills Map, an open-source framework initiated to catalog, evaluate, and context components of the rapidly expanding field of green jobs. This comprehensive taxonomy will serve as a resource for understanding the full spectrum and complexity of green skills required across various sectors, thereby enabling a cohesive approach toward achieving net zero and decarbonizing the global economy. Green Skills Map spans 11 areas, 54 sub-areas, and 243 green skills clusters. A snippet of the map covering four areas has been included above. Explore the full map on greenskills.org.

🌎 Climate 

⚡ New York State funds $45 million in apprenticeships and pre-apprenticeships for clean energy construction and development to build a diverse pipeline of skilled workers. This initiative is a partnership between the New York State Energy Research Development Authority and the Finishing Trades Institute of New York, focusing on energy efficiency and building technologies, and aims to address workforce needs and ensure an inclusive energy transition.

🌱 Dorchester Bay Economic Development Corporation (DBEDC) and the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) Massachusetts have partnered to expand workforce training in the green jobs sector. The Dorchester-based training hub will host its first 10-person cohort starting in February, offering paid technical training, essential job skills training, and career connections in clean energy fields like weatherization, HVAC, energy auditing, and solar. The program aims to bridge wage and economic opportunity gaps in communities affected by climate change.

🔋 Micron Technology has committed $3M to the D'Aniello Institute for Veterans and Military Families at Syracuse University in New York to support workforce development. The funding will help create a specialized Semiconductor Hub within the institute's Onward to Opportunity (O2O) career training program, connecting transitioning service members, veterans, and their families with careers in the semiconductor industry. This initiative aligns with the CHIPS and Science Act and aims to bridge the gap between veteran talent and industry needs.

🚀 Space

👩‍🚀 The Space Workforce Incubator for Texas (SWIFT), an Austin-based nonprofit, is launching an initiative to build a skilled workforce for the state’s expanding space industry. The program aims to ensure that 50% of new space industry jobs are filled by Texas talent, fostering collaboration between educational institutions, industry leaders, and aspiring engineers. Austin has become a key hub for space-focused companies, hosting major players like Firefly Aerospace and SpaceX. Additionally, innovative startups such as Icon Technology Inc., CesiumAstro, and Slingshot Aerospace are contributing to the 21st-century space race.

📱 Advanced Technology 

⛏️ Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL)-IISCO Steel Plant has partnered with IIT Dhanbad's TEXMiN Foundation to launch a cutting-edge learning experience center. This initiative focuses on preparing India's workforce for the mining and metallurgy industries. The center will integrate advanced technologies, simulations, and IT solutions, blending theoretical learning with practical case studies. The partnership aims to bridge the skills gap and drive growth.

🖥️ Bahrain's labor fund Tamkeen has partnered with Amazon Web Services (AWS) to develop and upskill local talent in Artificial Intelligence. The initiative will provide Bahrainis with qualifications in generative artificial intelligence, machine learning technologies, and addressing business challenges. The announcement was made at the second edition of the Gateway Gulf Investment Forum, which attracted international participation. 

🩺 Health

🧑‍⚕️ The Philippines and Denmark are preparing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to improve the education, training, and welfare of Filipino healthcare professionals aspiring to work in Denmark. The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) plans to develop specialized training programs, streamline recruitment processes, and ensure fair hiring practices. Filipino healthcare workers will also receive protections in Denmark, including employment rights and social security. The MOU aims to strengthen ties and benefit Filipino healthcare workers through improved training and welfare measures.

💉 The Welsh Government has surpassed its target for recruiting healthcare professionals from India. Over 300 healthcare workers have joined positions across Wales' health boards and the Velindre University NHS Trust. This achievement is part of the "Wales in India" initiative, a year-long program aimed at strengthening economic, educational, artistic, and sporting connections between the two nations.

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