German study examines skills gaps due to digital technologies

The introduction of new digital technologies is transforming work processes whilst also affecting the relationship between employees’ existing skills and the demands of their jobs. A recent study by the Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training in Germany examines these interrelationships and highlights two opposing trends.

The study by BIBB researcher Ana Santiago-Vela was published in the journal New Technology, Work and Employment under the titel ‘The Impact of Digital Technologies on Skills-to-Job Mismatches’. For the analyses, data from the BIBB/BAuA employment survey were linked to data from the BIBB qualification panel.

At the same time, the study notes a second development: The introduction of new digital technologies reduces the likelihood that existing skills of employees will remain unused. Digitisation can therefore help to bring existing skills more into the work.

This relationship is particularly evident in sectors whose businesses have so far shown comparatively low digitisation intensity. There, the introduction of new technologies can help to make greater use of previously unused skills.

The findings broaden our understanding of skills requirements in the context of digitalisation. In addition to the question of what additional skills employees need, the study also examines how job requirements are changing as a result of new technologies and to what extent existing skills are being utilised.

For policymakers and practitioners, the study concludes that strategies for skills development should be more closely linked to work organisation, the introduction of new technologies and in-company learning. Support for adapting skills therefore remains necessary across all sectors. At the same time, the study highlights potential for greater use of existing skills in less digitalised sectors.

The full study is available in German via here.