Changing Trends

Q1

The title of the CAEL article means that today’s workforce lacks the skilled to compete globally. The title enhances the necessity for a highly skilled and educated workforce that will enable higher quality, greater innovation and the ability to quickly respond to a changing world.  One of the major reasons why people need to be highly skilled is the changes in the workplace which are initiated by the globalization of the economy, the rise of technology and the weakening of organized labor. Due to these changes you might land into a different job from the current one, thus there is the need to find ways of gaining greater skills and knowledge in order to remain employable.

Q2

The challenge today means that today’s skills are changing but there is no a clear system to address the changing needs. That is, a system for workforce development does not exist. The current system is faced by the following challenges: knowledge concerning the kinds of skills and workers that the employers want and need both today and in the future, better understanding of what specific skills and competencies are needed by specific workers, and a system to link the two together (CAEL, 2008).

Q3

One trend which has called my attention in the workforce is the advances of the technology. The technology is very dynamic and this means we have to keep on investing on it so that we can maintain a well skilled labor force. The problem comes in when the older generations are not comfortable with new technologies and are not willing to gain more skills. This calls for their replacement yet we require their skills. This creates a gap between the young generation who are learning new technologies and the older generation who are struggling to cope with the new technologies. There is need for a system to accommodate the two groups.

Q4

The article has emphasized on people to be well educated in order to remain competitive in the job market. There are many changes occurring in the workplace, thus, people are supposed to be highly skilled. Due to these changes every working adult has to go back to class to keep in touch with the changing trends. In the current system, adult learners are seeking their own ways to gain greater skills and knowledge without any support either from the organizations or training institutions.

Q5

Domain 5: Technology

Advances in technology will keep changing the workplace. The problem with technology is that we do not know what tomorrow holds for us. It has the problem of uncertainty. It remains unstable and unpredictable. Its dynamic nature has provided both benefits and challenges to the average worker. For instance, the capability of an organization to maintain a good data management system has eliminated the need for some staffs (clerks) and created rooms for others (database administrator).

Future trends

Trends in the workplace will always change with time due to a number of factors. One of the major factors that have contributed to these changes is the increasing global competition in the production and sale of good and services (DeBell, 2006). This competition is inevitable and organizations will keep running for new technology to maintain a competitive advantage of their competitors. This means innovation in technology has continued to revolutionize the workplace in ways we cannot see today.