HRM and skills development - October 2018

31 October 2018

Machines versus robots
Nearly 50% of companies expect that automation will lead to some reduction in their full-time workforce by 2022, based on the job profiles of their employee base today. However, 38% of businesses surveyed expect to extend their workforce to new productivity-enhancing roles, and more than a quarter expect automation to lead to the creation of new roles in their enterprise. These findings and many more on human workforce, automation and robotisation of the workplace are given in the World Economic Forum The Future of Jobs Report 2018. Given the wave of new technologies and trends disrupting business models and the changing division of labour between workers and machines transforming current job profiles, the vast majority of employers surveyed for this report expect that, by 2022, the skills required to perform most jobs will have shifted significantly. You can download the report here (2.53 MB).

Netherlands industry positive towards automation
A vast majority of the Netherlands industry has a positive view towards the future implementation of automation and robotisation in their business, according to a nation-wide VNO-NCW (in Dutch) survey. More than 90% of the companies answered ‘positively’ when asked for their attitude towards digitisation, automation and robotisation. The survey was performed under more than 200 members of a range of industry associations in electronics, analytical equipment, pharma, plastics, chemicals and equipment servicing, among others. You can download the survey results here (in Dutch, 255 kB).

Life Long Learning stimulated by Dutch government
It must become an everyday matter that everyone continues to develop knowledge and skills during his or her career. For this reason, a joint action plan is drawn up in the Netherlands by employers' and employees' organisations, educational institutes and the government. The aim is for people to have more influence or control over their careers and to be able to adapt to changes in the labour market. This is stated in a letter (in Dutch) from a number of ministers sent to the Dutch House on 27 September 2018.
In some companies and sectors there are already so-called individual learning and development accounts, in the form of learning accounts, vouchers or drawing rights. These are all intended to give employees more control over their development. The government will encourage their expansion by improving the preconditions and tax deductions.

NVC members receive this information with all the relevant links in the monthly NVC Members-only Update. If you have any questions, please contact us: info@nvc.nl, +31-(0)182-512411.