The session "Skills, Sustainability and Success: do you have what it takes?" will draw on research by INSEAD eLab (the ‘Skills Pyramid’) to assess the extent to which Asian countries have key skills for innovation, competitiveness and sustainability.
The research aims to:
- Assess Asian countries’ relative skills/competitive levels.
- Show how Asian skills sets and policies compare to those of other economies.
- Show trends over the past ten years and future skill needs.
- Clarify the challenges faced by leaders and identify successful examples of skill-building strategies.
- Give insights to help leaders and policy makers define a portfolio of approaches and investments to develop all three tiers of the Skills Pyramid.
INSEAD eLab Skills Pyramid research
The research depicts a country’s supply of skills critical for competitiveness based on a selection of data related to education, R&D spending and the overall ecosystem of innovation and knowledge management. The Skills Pyramid consists of three tiers of skills - literacy and basic skills; occupational skills; and global knowledge-economy skills.
• Literacy and basic skills:
The first (base) tier of the Skills Pyramid includes the fundamental skills and knowledge that an individual needs to live in modern societies. They include not only traditional literacies (e.g., writing, reading. and basic math skills) but also increasingly, IT literacy.
• Occupational skills:
The second (middle) tier refers to the knowledge and capacities that must be acquired to qualify for specific jobs. Much of such skills can be generated through formal education (e.g. by engineering schools, law schools or universities). However, an increasing part of those skills are acquired ‘on the job’.
• Global knowledge economy talents:
The third (top) tier includes the more subtle - and less easily quantified – skills required to lead and manage multicultural teams, to work in virtual teams, and to address, anticipate and steer change. Those skills are critical for innovation, and addressing new challenges and issues.
INSEAD eLab will rank and grade countries by their total Skills Pyramid score and by each of the three types of skills, as well as show how key indicators have changed compared to ten years ago and over the past three years.
A country’s rank is based on its Skills Pyramid or Tier score relative to the sample. A country’s grade is based on its Skills Pyramid score relative to the mean and standard deviation of the sample – e.g., if a country’s Skills Pyramid score is within the mean plus or minus half the standard deviation, it receives a “C,” if a country has a score that is within a standard deviation greater than the upper boundary of “C,” then it receives a “B.”
The INSEAD eLab Skills Pyramid is derived from INSEAD research on Network Readiness Index and Global Information Technology Report, conducted in collaboration with the World Economic Forum. Policy makers and business leaders have praised the INSEAD eLab Skills Pyramid research for motivating and focusing important discussion on fostering skills for competitiveness. In 2009/10, INSEAD eLab also conducted research for the European Commission, identifying critical success factors and actions for building Europe's supply of e-competent professionals.
Sources to learn more
Nils Fonstad and Bruno Lanvin (2010), “Strengthening e-Skills for Innovation in Europe” report to the European Commission. www.insead.edu/ecompetences.
Bruno Lanvin and Nils Fonstad (2009), “Who cares? Who dares? - Providing the skills for an innovative and sustainable Europe,” Background Report for the 2009 European Business Summit. www.insead.edu/elab
Soumitra Dutta and World Economic Forum (2009), The Global Information Technology Report. New York; Oxford: Oxford University Press.
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