BEYOND4.0 Policy Brief #4 - Skills for the Digital Transformation

Background to the Policy Brief #4 Funded by the Horizon 2020 programme, BEYOND4.0 examines the impact of new digital technologies on the future of jobs, business models and welfare in the European Union (EU). It aims to support the delivery of an inclusive European future that provides decent work and decent lives for EU citizens. Two particular digital disruptions are salient to policymakers. The first is the digitalisation of production, epitomised by Industry 4.0. The second involves the digitalisation of work mediated by platforms, sometimes known as ‘Uberisation’. This Policy Brief focuses on the first development, Industry 4.0, and its impact on future work and skills. It is an extract of a BEYOND 4.0 deliverable which will be published in September 2021 examining the demand and supply side for new skills and the role of inclusive approaches to mitigate expectable skill gaps. Based on this examination, the opportunities and challenges are highlighted in this Policy Brief, followed by an outline of current policy thinking about skills supply and recommendations for further evidence-based modernisation of VET systems.