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Abstract. In the modern business environment, there is an evident mismatch of the skills possessed by individuals and those businesses are sourcing. Despite business leaders ensuring automation, digitisation and extraction of value of data (for example by artificial intelligence) are core organisational priorities, the workforce should still be in a position to complement the value of technology. The rising popularity of technology has impacted the manner in which knowledge is acquired. This is particularly important for the Millennials and Generation Z who are currently transitioning to the new world of work and largely acquiring knowledge through the internet. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has upset the balance of this new world of work, involving business, digital technologies and new ways of working. The solution to a successful transition by Millennials and Generation Z requires embracing technology and upgrading training programmes. Therefore, this paper has identified the best practice in using digital learning to harness the transition to the new world of work. Also, this paper has evaluated on the ways in which the markets evolve or change over time. It has been pointed out that their implications would include varying employment markets, changing demands and supplies for skills, and demographic trends (Millennials and Generation Z.) The current COVID-19 pandemic has been noted to have an impact on the labour markets today and in future.
Key Words: New World of Work; Digital Learning; Millennials, Generation Z, COVID-19
1. Introduction
The current COVID-19 pandemic has significantly shifted the view of work and skills for people of all ages. This is evidenced by a report (WEF, 2019) which notes that emerging technologies would generate some 133 million new jobs by the end of 2022, with 75 million being displaced. Even before the emergence of COVID-19 and recognition of the need for a new world of work, a global skills gap was evident, an indicator that most of these jobs would remain unfilled. Another report (Pearson, 2020) targeting more than 7,000 learners showed that COVID-19 represented a major demand for changing learning strategies, with online learning and the demand for digital skills being critical . In the workplace, the different generations have distinct behavioural characteristics which correspondingly influence their unique benefits to their organisations. Currently, the majority of employees...