LETTERS: The Covid-19 pandemic has impacted the world socially and economically. Efforts are ongoing to combat the deadly virus. The vaccine rollout gives a glimmer of hope but only time will tell whether that is the case.
People are concerned about how to survive not only during the crisis but also to thrive beyond this pandemic era. We have seen abrupt changes affecting the livelihoods of people and the nature of their work.
Those in the industrial and educational sectors are adapting new formats and approaches in adjusting to the new norms as life is no longer business as usual.
Digital transformation could give an edge to businesses against the their rivals, whereas technological integration allows a shift in teaching methods and students' learning experience at educational institutions.
To survive and thrive, acquiring the right skills is crucial more than ever. According to The Future of Jobs Report 2020 by the World Economic Forum (WEF), rising top skills by 2025 include critical thinking, analysis and problem-solving. Skills in self-management such as active learning, resilience, stress tolerance and flexibility are also in high demand.
WEF also reports that firms are looking to adopting new technologies that involve encryption, non-humanoid robots and artificial intelligence in addition to the prominent ones in cloud computing, big data and e-commerce.
The adoption of these new technologies will drive future growth in many industries, and this will create new job opportunities.
Thus, educational institutions must plan their curriculum that could produce graduates with the right skill sets for the industry. Real transformation is needed to hone such skills through emphasising the quality of teaching.
The future of work also requires new skills and capabilities from the workforce. Digitalisation of working processes allows people to work remotely. However, this could raise issues in terms of productivity and the wellbeing of employees due to the disruption.
In thinking beyond Covid-19, we must strike a balance between transforming ourselves and contributing our ideas for the betterment of the nation and life in general. Everyone needs to lead and believe in their own unique ability to adapt in whatever destructive situations they are in.
More than one year into the pandemic, we all must recalibrate our lives and continue to improve our performance and achievement. Despite the challenges, we are in this for the long haul, and we should remain hopeful in searching for the light at the end of the tunnel.
DR JUDITH GISIP
Senior lecturer, Eco-Technology Programme, Faculty of Applied Sciences, UiTM
The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect those of the New Straits Times