Implications of the digital transformation for skills development and lifelong learning

Hannah Liepmann (ILO) provides an ILO perspective on how AI and digital transformation are reshaping skills and work. Most jobs will be transformed rather than lost, and demand centres on “rounded” skills profiles that pair technical skills with foundational cognitive and socio-emotional abilities such as digital literacy and critical thinking, which are linked to better pay and conditions. Liepmann argues that lifelong learning is central but unequally accessible and calls for systemic reform and financing to make quality learning a reality. Presented at the 2026 Public Economics Conference.