Skilled Employees – Successful Labour Market (WORK)

Working life is in a state of global flux. Employment and career trajectories are inevitably being affected by robotisation, digitalisation, employees’ changing knowledge and skill sets, etc. Traditional education and degree structures are no longer optimally suited to the changing conditions, but there is a need for new and more flexible ways of learning and adopting new ideas that cut across all stages of life. Research under this theme should respond to the challenges faced by educational institutions. Furthermore, it should provide concrete solutions for identifying and advancing the adoption of skills that will be needed in the future workplace so that skills and competencies match job requirements. The aim is to find ways in which the best existing research can be put to use in making the most of education, learning environments and skills as well as in anticipating the need for new skills and future occupations.

The permanent change in the labour market will also demand an examination of the need for institutional reform, for instance in labour market regulation and immigration policy. Furthermore, research under this theme helps shed light on the role of Finnish growth companies in the development of new skills and competencies and identifies the most critical success factors for these companies. Research under this theme should be able to present concrete ways in which the skills required in the future workplace can be identified and the assimilation of these skills can be promoted.

Projects:

Skills, Education and the Future of Work (Taidot työhön)
Consortium PI: Roope Uusitalo, University of Jyväskylä

Consortium's composition: University of Jyväskylä, Haaga-Helia University of Applied Sciences, University of Helsinki, Tampere University, VATT Institute for Economic Research, Labour Institute for Economic Research, Finnish Institute of Occupational Health

Smart Work in a Platform Economy (SWiPE)
Consortium PI: Anne Kovalainen, University of Turku

Consortium's composition: University of Turku, Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, Research Institute of the Finnish Economy

Occupational Restructuring Challenges Competencies (Polkuja työhön)
Consortium PI: Rita Asplund, Research Institute of the Finnish Economy

Consortium's composition: Research Institute of the Finnish Economy, University of Turku, Finnish Institute of Occupational Health

Competent Workforce for the Future (COPE)
Consortium PI: Ilmo Keskimäki, Institute for Health and Welfare

Consortium's composition: Institute for Health and Welfare, Laurea University of Applied Sciences, Aalto University, University of Eastern Finland