The digital and green transitions: the
role of skills and capabilitiesBreakout 2: Equipping society in a fast-changing world
Countries are making significant investments to drive technological advancements for digital and green transitions, recognizing the critical need for human capital to ensure their success. Equipping individuals with future skills will greatly impact the inclusiveness of these transitions, influencing societal gains and losses. The evolving nature of technological progress, shaped by science, technology, and innovation policies, will determine how skills contribute to inclusiveness, particularly amidst winner-take-all market dynamics and labour-replacing technologies. A diverse range of skills is required for the development of technologies crucial to greener and more resilient societies, extending beyond STEM to include business management, digital proficiency, policy implementation, and communication skills. Ensuring inclusive transitions necessitates societal engagement, support for SMEs, economically disadvantaged regions, and the inclusion of underrepresented groups in science, technology, and innovation systems. The panel discussion will explore governmental approaches to addressing emerging technology-driven skill demands, with a focus on initiatives targeting underrepresented groups and identifying research priorities for OECD's future agenda on green and digital transitions, skills, and STI policies.
