The World Economic Forum (WEF) announced a major global reskilling programme at its Annual Meeting in Davos last week, which aims to reach more than 850 million people.

The Reskilling Revolution initiative will help WEF near its target of equipping one billion people with better access to skills, education and economic opportunities.

WEF said with artificial intelligence (AI), geo-economic shifts and the energy transition rapidly reshaping global labour markets, preparing workers for the economy of tomorrow is an urgent global priority.

Keeping workers employable

The new commitments span corporate pledges, university-employer partnerships and national skills accelerators focused on redesigning how people enter the workforce, transition between jobs and remain employable.

Among the Reskilling Revolution commitments, more than 25 technology companies have pledged to support 120 million workers with AI access, skills training and job pathways. In parallel, India launched a new national skills accelerator, aiming to rapidly scale industry-aligned training and improve employability for millions of workers.

“The global economy is undergoing its most significant transformation in decades. But the future of work is not fixed. How it unfolds for workers depends on opportunities for learning, support for job transitions and backing for entrepreneurship,” said Saadia Zahidi, managing director, World Economic Forum. “Today’s announcements represent decisive action – mobilising education providers, employers and governments to ensure the future of work delivers opportunity for all.”

“The global economy is undergoing its most significant transformation in decades. But the future of work is not fixed. How it unfolds for workers depends on opportunities for learning, support for job transitions and backing for entrepreneurship”

The Reskilling Revolution initiative has mobilised commitments to reach 856 million people globally by 2030, putting it on track to achieve its goal of providing one billion people with improved access to education, skills and economic opportunity. The initiative works with 79 economies and 18 industries and is supported by more than 350 organisations and over 35 CEOs.

New commitments come from companies such as Adobe, Cornerstone OnDemand, Cisco, JD.com, SAP, Salesforce, ServiceNow, Snowflake, Wipro and Workday.

Across all Reskilling Revolution commitments, the majority focus on AI and digital skills, emphasise human-centric capabilities and prioritise entry-level roles most vulnerable to disruption.