Global Skills Taxonomy Adoption Toolkit 2025

2 A roadmap for ac tion Key enablers Through consultations with experts, policy-ma- kers and business leaders, three key enablers consistently emerged as essential for adopting a common skills language: aligning skills initia- tives with strategic goals, fostering a skills-fi rst culture, and securing continuous buy-in from internal and external stakeholders. These ena- blers address adoption barriers like unclear busi- ness case, limited engagement and fragmented stakeholder support. By embedding these ena - blers into skills-based initiatives, organizations and governments can increase the impact, sustainability and return on investment of skills- based approaches. Together, these enablers ensure smoother implementation and unlock the full potential of a unifi ed skills language for last- ing workforce resilience. Aligning skills with strategic needs and ob- jectives is essential for both businesses and governments to maximize the impact of skills-fi rst approaches. For businesses, this means identifying and addressing specifi c, high-impact talent challenges where a com- mon skills language can directly contribute to key outcomes. These challenges include improving talent attraction and retention, en- hancing workforce productivity, driving inno- vation, streamlining recruitment, advancing employee development and fostering a cul- ture of lifelong learning. For governments , aligning skills with na- tional prioriti es involves iden tifying critical, high-impact tale nt priorities and setting frameworks that p romote a standa rdized skills language. National skills-fi rst strate- gies should focu s on immediate pri orities, such as improvi ng productivity and compe- titiveness, addres sing labour-ma rket imba- lances, enhancing public-service efficiency, and supporting l ifelong learnin g initiatives. Both businesses and governments must ground their skill s-first strateg ies in prac-tical, outcome-focused needs to ensure long-term success. See Figure 2 for com-mon use cases of skills taxonomies. To make a skills-based approach truly effective, start by aligning its implemen- tation directly with your business prio- rities and transformation challenges. Focus on integrating learning into the employee journey where it can deliver immedi ate impac t – whether that’s driv- ing innovation, supporting growth initia- tives or enhancing agility. By tying learn- ing outcomes to real business needs, you’l l not only create value from day one but also build momentum, positioning skills-based learning as a vital partner in achieving strategic goals and enhancing the employee experience. SAPKey Enabler 1: Aligning skills with strategic goals Global Skills Taxonomy Adoption Toolkit 10