Skills for the future jobs.The future-oriented

experience of ALPJOBS project

Gian Antonio Battistel, Rocco Scolozzi

Fondazione Edmund Mach, -skopìa Anticipation Services® | Italy

This project is co-financed (ARPAF funds) by the European Union

Anticipate Future Jobs on Alpine Remote Areas

Project main goal: Exploration of new approaches to teach

competences catching up job opportunities and promotion of “futures literacy” as a

contribution to counter-balance depopulation and «brain drain» in Alpine remote areas.

• The Alpine region is particularly vulnerable to negative

demographic trends.

• Decreasing and ageing population can lead to a reduction in

public services at the local level.

• Common vicious cycles can undermine the future possibilities

for local development.

• New job opportunities may not be exploited locally due to

obsolete or wrong mix of skills and/or knowledge and/or “on

the job” ability.

Project aims and structure:

ALPJOBS

• facilitates the implementation of the EUSALP

action plan as regards the challenges of

depopulation and “brain drain” in rural Alpine

areas, with a special focus on young people (15-

34 years)

• identifying future job profiles (2030), which have

the potential to induce young people to stay in or

to return to Alpine rural areas.

Objectives/questions: how to involve local people (young and interest groups) in

developing local sustainable innovations for 2030

🡺 Look at possible futures and identify the desirable

ones by local communities!

how formal/non-formal/informal educators/trainers/career

advisors could match competences required within year

2030

🡺 Look at coming changes!

how to promote the anticipatory governance in establishing

and maintaining in the future (2030) attractive job

opportunities within Alpine remote regions

🡺 Let’s practice anticipation – “futures exercise”

5 Project partners 🡺 5 study areas 🡺 5 local groups of stakeholders

Lead partner Contracted as

Futures Exercises - Facilitators

• LAG "Trentino Orientale" – Tesino (IT)

• LAG "Vinschgau", South Tyrol (IT)

• LAG "Holzwelt Murau", Styria (AT)

• LAG "TOTI LAS" -Kungota (SI)

• Valposchiavo district (CH)

Introduction of Futures literacyby a multiple level approach

Partners’representative

Local Applications 2 3 4 5

5 training modules for project partners

Local experimentations by partnersinvolving local communities (in local language)

1st Training module • Data collection, local trend analysis

• Strategic interviews (Racliffe, 2002)

• Issues• Fears• Expectations• Changes to be introduced• Key lessons and events from

the past• Main limits• Priority decisions

• demographic dynamics• aging• urbanization of the population• mobility• differences between generations• climate change

2nd Training module

Exploration of local relevant uncertainties (intro to Scenario Planning)

All connected

under performing market -conversion needed

local firms are at the forefront from the

technological and connectivity point of view …

technologically inclusive

market – we are promptlocal firms interact with others abroad and receive orders from abroad…

Only

local market

Only

global market

micro market - waiting for Godotdue to difficult international relations (or high

costs), local firms operate in a local or regional market…

single niches – buy minefew distinct local firms have profitable

relationships with others abroad because

they are well connected and innovative. …

Digital divide

2nd Training module

Strategic indications• communication technology training for the whole

community

• new alliances between informal and formal education organizations

• encourage a proactive attitude in the community through specific projects, dedicated facilitation and training;

• cooperation between administrations and private organizations to create or maintain attractive living environments and working and place;

• long-term strategies to support local businesses and schools and to maintain local public services.

2nd Training module

3rd Training module Systems thinking

Participatory modelling of processes thatmay/will create desirable conditions (desired futures)

∙ framework for understanding, appreciating complex realities, recognizing facts within an interdependent world

∙ framework for practice, engaging with people within multiple perspectives

∙ framework for co-responsibility, in which to share limits of the resources and of individual power/capability, accepting "multiverse" or pluralist view in framing the practice.

Strategic indications

3rd Training module Systems thinking

Backcasting + Roadmapping

4th Training module

CV 2030 Skills that will help to find / create /

maintain a local job in 2030

CV 2030in Local

• Local Agri-forestry and Food sector,

• Arts-Craft (manufacturing),• Tourism (including recreational

and outdoor activities),• Services

5th Training module

Debriefing on the learning process

5th Training module

The project was a learning and testing experience, with different results :

• competences on adaptation to the coming changes or orientation of local opportunities for the labour market and innovation;

• collection of insightful indications for possible collaborative future-proof projects of local development;

• increased awareness about the importance of involving young people and career guidance in building strategies for local development, looking at the medium-long term and the relevant uncertainties.

Conclusions (for the project)

Conclusions (for today) Futures literacy is the ability

to use futures to influence the present.

This ability is spontaneous, at the base of every type of decision, but strongly biased by cognitive limits; it can/should be intentionally cultivated at the level of individuals, groups and organizations.

Six Foresight Competencies

Practice Description

FRAMING Defining the focal issue and current conditions

SCANNING Exploring signals of change and cross-impacts

FUTURING Identifying a baseline and alternative futures

VISIONING Developing and committing to a preferred future

DESIGNING Developing prototypes and artifacts to achieve goals

ADAPTING Generating strategies for alternative futures

Grazie dell’attenzioneThanks for your attention

gianantonio.battistel@fmach.itscolozzi@skopia-anticipation.it

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