Six in ten workers will need new skills before 2030

Technological transformation is changing the way we work at a pace that is forcing companies to rethink how they develop talent. Artificial intelligence, automation and digitalisation are changing tasks, processes and responsibilities in numerous roles, including those that until now were not directly linked to technology.

In this context, 59 in every 100 workers will need training to update or acquire new skills before 2030, according to the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) Future of Jobs Report 2025. The same report states that 11 of those 59 workers may not receive the necessary training, highlighting the scale of the challenge facing workforces and organisations.

For Jordi Damià, CEO of LiceoTIC Training, this scenario requires companies to change the way they understand training. “Training can no longer be presented as a one-off response to a specific need. The pace of change makes it necessary to anticipate which skills professionals will need and start developing them before a gap emerges,” he explains.

39% of skills will change before 2030

The challenge is not limited to acquiring entirely new knowledge. The World Economic Forum estimates that 39% of workers’ current skills will change or become obsolete between 2025 and 2030. In addition, 63% of employers identify skills gaps as the main barrier to business transformation.

This evolution may force companies to review both the profiles they need to recruit and the capabilities they must develop within their own workforces. The response therefore does not lie solely in hiring professionals with emerging knowledge, but also in preparing those who are already part of the organisation.

“One of the difficulties companies will face is distinguishing between the skills they need to bring in and those they need to transform. It is not all about learning something new: often, it will be necessary to learn to carry out tasks that are already part of daily work in a different way,” says Damià.

Among the capabilities whose demand will grow most rapidly are several directly linked to technology. The report cites artificial intelligence and big data, networks and cybersecurity, and technological literacy. However, it also ranks creative thinking, resilience, flexibility and agility, leadership and the ability to learn continuously among the skills that will continue to gain importance.

The combination of technological knowledge and skills that enable people to adapt will therefore become increasingly relevant. Professional development will not have to focus solely on learning to use new tools, but also on interpreting information, making decisions, solving problems and operating within processes that are still evolving.

Artificial intelligence accelerates transformation

The expansion of artificial intelligence is helping to accelerate this change. Its adoption by companies is creating new specialised roles, but it is also changing the functions of professionals who until now did not need advanced knowledge of this technology.

According to the World Economic Forum, half of employers expect to redirect their business in response to artificial intelligence. In addition, more than two-thirds plan to hire talent with specific AI skills, while 40% expect to reduce their workforce where this technology can automate certain tasks.

“AI will not affect only technology departments. It will change the way practically all professionals work. That is why AI training should not be limited to teaching people how to use a tool, but should help them understand how work changes when that tool becomes part of a process,” says the CEO of LiceoTIC Training.

The consequence is that training related to artificial intelligence will have to be accompanied by other capabilities. Professionals will need to understand how these solutions are integrated into processes, assess the information they generate and adapt their decisions to new ways of working.

The change may affect areas as diverse as administration, marketing, sales, customer service, finance and people management. Technological development is changing the tasks and capabilities required in roles that are not traditionally considered technological.

Companies are choosing to update their workforces

Against this backdrop, organisations appear to be increasingly focusing on developing the capabilities of their own workers. The WEF states that 85% of employers expect to prioritise updating the skills of their workforces, known as upskilling, through to 2030.

Some 70% expect to hire new professionals with emerging skills, while 51% are considering moving workers internally from declining roles into growing ones. These figures reflect a combination of strategies: training those already in the company, bringing in specialised talent and facilitating internal mobility.

For LiceoTIC Training, one of the keys will be ensuring that training does not arrive once the need is already obvious. “Waiting until a skill becomes essential before starting training can mean that the organisation is too late. When the need is already clear, developing that capability can take months. Training has to anticipate the transformation of the job,” says Damià.

This approach also affects the role of Human Resources and Training departments. Their responsibilities will have to include identifying current gaps, but also anticipating the capabilities that will be needed in the medium term.

From one-off courses to continuous learning

The scenario described by the World Economic Forum points towards a model in which learning ceases to be a one-off activity associated with a specific course. Training becomes integrated into professional development and the changes affecting jobs.

For Jordi Damià, “the challenge is not to get an employee to take more courses, but to ensure they can learn and apply new knowledge when their work changes. Training has to be connected to the reality of the company and to the development of each role”.

This approach involves linking learning to the organisation’s transformation. Companies should not wait until a digitalisation process or artificial intelligence implementation has been completed before deciding what their employees need to learn. Training must accompany change from its earliest stages.

“Companies will have to learn to train while they transform. They cannot wait until they have finished a digitalisation or AI implementation process before considering what their employees need to learn. Training must accompany change from the outset,” Damià concludes.

The figure of 59 in every 100 workers needing training before 2030 paints a picture of a scenario in which the ability to develop and update internal talent will become increasingly decisive. Anticipating the evolution of skills can help organisations address their new talent challenges and seize the opportunities associated with technological transformation.