Digital disruption, globalisation and demographic shifts are shaping Australia’s future skill needs, with soft-skill intensive occupations expected to account for two-thirds (63%) of all jobs in Australia by 2030, according to the report Soft skills for business success report by Deloitte Access Economics.

I am excited to introduce the Soft skills for business success report.

DeakinCo. commissioned this report to assess the importance of developing and measuring soft skills as a contributor to economic growth in Australia.

So, does our workforce have the skills necessary for business success?

The evidence suggests that the Australian workforce has these capabilities to some extent, however, more needs to be done to build soft skills. In a new analysis of data from Workible, we find that the job market demand for skills such as communication, problem solving and critical thinking significantly exceed supply.

And while businesses in Australia spend a staggering $11 billion on employee training and recruitment annually, a quarter of employers’ report having difficulty recruiting entry level positions because applicants lack the required soft skills.

Businesses recognise the importance of building soft skills in their people, but it can be difficult to measure. Our solution to this problem is DeakinCo.’s micro-credentials that allow organisations to objectively measure an individual’s skills.

What does this mean for your business?

Given the importance of soft skills in improving business performance and the demand for soft skills increasing, we need to shift our focus to not only how we develop soft skills in our people but how we confirm they have these skills.

DeakinCo.’s micro-credentials measure workforce capability, recognise and confirm workplace development and supports increased workforce engagement.

Simon Hann

CEO, DeakinCo.