Which skill should I acquire next? Data-driven Upskilling for Platform Workers and beyond

We will present and discuss a state-of-the-art tool "Upskill" that utilizes the data of digital labour platforms such as Upwork with its 18 Mio. users to guide workers in their upskilling by providing tailored pathways to improve their income and careers. It does so by using a skills complementarity matrix developed by Dr. Fabian Stephany. Workers can enter their current skills, sector and receive a data-based overview of the "nearest" skills and their monetary added value based on the global demand/supply of the online cloudwork labour market. 

 Digital platforms provide work for millions of people worldwide (current estimations vary between 150-423 Mio. workers). With the AI revolution requiring ever more human work to train the algorithms on which so many modern technologies now depend, this number is only set to rise. Platforms play a crucial role in connecting the flourishing demand spurred by AI developments, with the supply, a global force of online tech workers. Imbedded within this exchange is the potential of the masses of skills-related data that platforms currently only marginally use for their business. While huge amounts of data are collected that could benefit workers, TVET authorities and policymakers alike, the insights have yet to be drawn on more systematically. This is why we have developed a tool that informs workers and policymakers about in-demand skills and gaps that need to be addressed as well as the interplay between the global in-demand skills and local realities.

Attendees will be introduced to the tool and hear a discussion on the future of upskilling and reskilling in the digital economy. Followed by the opportunity to network and test the tool based on your own skill set!