Global survey questions Arab citizens on prospects for future

AMMAN — The usual question asked by tricky job recruiters, “Where do you see yourself in five to ten years?” is the focus of a new survey by the European Union Training Foundation (ETF), conducted in the EU neighbourhood countries ahead of a global conference on the future of work.

Scheduled to take place in Turin, Italy on November 21-22, the “Skills for the Future: Managing Transition” will provide a platform for some 200 citizens from 50 countries to discuss how developing countries can respond to global trends shaping the labour market of the future, with a focus on the skills perspective, according to an organisers' statement sent to The Jordan Times.

“Can you picture your life in 20 years?”;“Do you feel positive about it?”;“Will your job still exist in 2040?” and “To what extent will technology affect your job/area of study by 2040?” are some of the questions included in the opinion poll, which targets individuals from all walks of life living in the EU eastern and southern neighbourhoods.

The survey, and the conference that will follow, seek to comprehend the way that global forces interact with local realities and affect the demand for skills, according to the ETF statement, which noted that it will also help in understanding how governments, businesses, social partners, civil society, research institutions, communities and education and training providers should work together to manage this change.

“Digital technology and innovation is accelerating at unprecedented rates transforming society, industry, policy and the environment,” said ETF Director Cesar Onestini, stressing that “lifelong learning is the key to embracing change and turning it to our advantage”.

“The capacity of the EU and its neighbouring countries to adapt education and training systems to these new realities will determine how well we are preparing the next generation to raise above the challenges of the present — harnessing their potential to contribute to inclusive growth and stability,” Onestini commented ahead of the conference.

Established in 1994, ETF is the EU agency supporting transition and developing countries in harnessing the potential of their human capital through the reform of education, training and labour market systems, according to its website.

Open until October, 31, the survey is available at https://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/4261656/Future-of-Work-online-opinion-poll.