Reality shows that each industrial revolution creates new standards for the labor market. When electricity is popularized, knowing how to operate machines becomes a basic skill. When computers appeared, office informatics gradually became a minimum requirement.
Today, along with digital transformation and artificial intelligence, skills such as using digital platforms, data mining or working with AI tools are gradually becoming common competencies and no longer an advantage for a few people.
That also means that competition in the labor market is no longer simply who has a higher degree, but who learns faster, adapts better and masters technology more effectively.
Technology does not eliminate jobs but changes labor requirements. Repeated jobs are gradually automated, while the demand for human resources that know how to operate and coordinate with technology is increasing.
Therefore, digital skills are now a common requirement for factory workers, office workers, service workers, and even agricultural workers as production is increasingly associated with digital platforms. In other words, digital skills are becoming a "password" for many industries.
However, this "travel ticket" also raises a new issue related to technology access opportunities. Because a shift worker, a middle-aged worker who has just lost their job, or a person in a rural area will find it very difficult to access training courses themselves if they lack time, funding, and learning conditions.
When the opportunity to access knowledge is uneven, the skill gap will quickly become a gap in income, employment and development opportunities.
Therefore, retraining and improving skills cannot only be the responsibility of each individual, but also a story, the joint effort of the business community and educational institutions.
Trade unions are promoting their role in connecting and supporting workers to access appropriate courses; the State and localities have stronger policies so that everyone has the opportunity to learn and adapt to digital transformation.
In a rapidly changing labor market, qualifications will increasingly only be a starting point. What determines each person's job opportunities is their learning ability and ability to adapt continuously, especially digital skills.
But if there are no synchronous solutions for all workers to have the opportunity to access and improve digital skills, the skill gap may greatly affect the immediate job opportunities of each individual.
