Universitas Gadjah Mada
Faculty of Economics and Business

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a major impact on people's lives. Starting from changing daily habits to having an impact on the activities of companies and educational institutions. There are changes that occur, forcing companies and communities to develop the capacity of employee skills needed so as not to lose existing productivity. To discuss this further, FEB UGM raised the theme "The Future of Work: Skill and Workforce Development (Post Covid)" in International Week on Thursday (29/07).

The event invited Alfa Bumhira, CEO and Co-founder of ProSpark, to share his insights further on skills and workforce development. The event was guided by Shima Dewi Mutiara Trisna, S.E., M.Sc., a lecturer at FEB UGM.

In his presentation, Alfa Bumhira explained that the pandemic had forced the world to "change" which had an impact on all activities around the world. These changes also lead to changes in the skills demanded in the labor market. Therefore, it is important to learn the appropriate and needed skills even though it requires more process and time.

Thus, it is important to know what drives innovation in globalization and the skills that need to be developed in order to constantly adapt to the changes.

Alfa Bumhira also gave examples of some of the world's leading changemakers, such as Nadiem Makarim, Steve Jobs, Tan Hooi Ling, and so on. He mentioned that a change maker is not afraid to take risks and apply his skills to solve a problem in the area.

There are several main skills that are important to learn, namely critical thinking, analytical reasoning, digital competence, flexibility, and adaptability. Critical thinking and analytical reasoning skills are very important because companies need individuals who can think outside the box and can solve problems from various points of view.

Therefore, an organization needs to invest in skills training and job application. He also mentioned that Learning and Development (L&D) should be a top priority for companies because the pandemic has changed the skills needed in the labor market. The main focus in L&D is upskilling and reskilling, leadership and management, and virtual onboarding. He also mentioned that skills development programs and internal mobility can make talent a renewable resource. In addition, according to him, it is important to invest in Generation Z because Gen Z will be in control of the future.

Reportage: Zahra Dian