Digital Reskilling and Upskilling of the New Workforce: Ushering the future of jobs by upgrading workers’ digital skills
Country: Philippines
Year of implementation: 2021–2023
Technology: Artificial intelligence
ADB Department: Climate Change and Sustainable Development Department1
ADB Partner: Eskwelabs—technology service provider
In line with ADB’s Operational Priorities:
· Addressing remaining poverty and reducing inequalities
o Human capital and social protection enhanced for all
o Quality jobs generated
COVID-19 caused major disruptions across industries. In Asia and the Pacific, about 58 million became unemployed because of the pandemic. Young workers were particularly affected by the mass lay-offs, particularly those who had low job security and low-wage employment. The pandemic became the accelerator for digital transformation—companies that were slowly putting in place digital technologies were forced to fast-track their adoption of these tools and systems to adapt to new demands practically overnight. A key element of this digital transformation was the upskilling or reskilling of workers in digital skills. Job seekers could also benefit from upgrading their digital skills as a new breed of jobs were likely to emerge, while many of the old jobs, which were suspended at the height of the pandemic-related mobility restrictions, were unlikely to come back because of automation and artificial intelligence. As early as 2020, the World Economic Forum said that half of the global workforce will need reskilling in the next five years. In addition, supporting the upskilling and reskilling of workers promotes the creation of more inclusive and sustainable economies.
ADB launched the “Digital Reskilling and Upskilling of the New Workforce” challenge in 2020 to find an innovative solution that would allow jobseekers, particularly those who have been heavily hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, with digital skills to increase their employability. Eskwelabs, an edtech startup, was chosen out of 47 teams in January 2021 to implement its proposed solution with the assistance of ADB.
Eskwelabs implemented a four-step process in designing the training. The steps were: (1) evaluation of the organization’s data maturity and preparedness for new skills; (2) development of a tailored apprenticeship program made of learning sprints; (3) execution of the learning sprints; and (4) post-evaluation.
A data skills training needs assessment (DS-TNA) was conducted to determine the level of data maturity and readiness for new skills under three components: people, processes, and tools. Prospective training participants were surveyed and tested on their proficiency and awareness of data science and analytics. In addition, Eskwelabs conducted interviews and focus group discussions to better understand trainees’ needs.
Using the insights generated from the DS-TNA, Eskwelabs developed two sequential modules, one on data literacy with spreadsheets and another on data storytelling. The designed curriculum featured four elements: live cohort training where teams learned together; hands-on project directly related to real-life use cases and data sets; apprenticeship, with industry professionals acting as project coaches; and catalytic impact, which aimed to empower the participants to pass on what they learned to their teammates to promote their organization’s digital transformation. Upon approval of the designs, the sprints were conducted via Zoom over a six-week period involving 120 Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) trainers as participants. They were selected by TESDA based on their performance on the data maturity assessment.
The groups’ mentors, as well as practicing data analysts and data scientists were tapped to assess the learners’ performance, who deemed that there was marked progress in the learners’ knowledge on key topics.
The participants gave a 76% net promotor score to the learning sprints, indicating that they were highly satisfied with it. In addition, daily sprint satisfaction averaged at 4.2 out of 5. There was also high satisfaction with class instructors and small-group mentors, with a central tendency of 4.7 and 4.8 out of 5. Ninety-seven percent of the participants said that they were likely to recommend the Eskwelabs learning sprint to others. Meanwhile, 92 out of the 97 participants said that they could apply their new knowledge to their work. The learners also provided feedback that the learning sprint was mostly relevant to their work and the difficulty was just right. On the other hand, some participants said that the pacing was somewhat fast, although the majority said that the pacing was just right for them.
Included in the outputs of the training was a learners’ insight file to inform TESDA of the performance of the performance and a manager’s guide to enable TESDA managers to extend the return of investment of the training for their staff. In addition, each group was given a slide deck to discuss how data projects could help them achieve their respective offices' goals.
“Targeted upskilling initiatives have equipped private sector teams with the talent needed for digital transformation and fostered meaningful career growth. Eskwelabs’ partnership with ADB has enabled us to extend these initiatives to the public sector, ensuring workers in government can also access high-quality training opportunities.”
”Our work with ADB exemplifies how targeted upskilling initiatives can create sustainable career pathways. By focusing on real use cases on the job, we’ve not only enhanced the practical skills of employees but also empowered them to drive innovation and growth within their organizations, ensuring long-term success in a digital-first economy.
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“The Eskwelabs team did a great job in implementing the training program. They use different methodologies and have a creative way of encouraging the participants to participate in the discussions. Their facilitators are knowledgeable about the topics they are discussing and would encourage participants to ask questions. Their learning platform is also user-friendly; the participant would be able to collaborate and provide their inputs.”