Global Skills Taxonomy Adoption Toolkit 2025

Preface Neil Allison Head of Mission, Educa-tion, Skills & Learning, World Economic Forum .Skills and talent shortages are critical challenges facing societies and economies today. The ina- bility to attract talent with the relevant skills hin- ders business growth and economic prosperity and prevents individuals from realizing their full potential. As technology rapidly advances and economic landscapes continue to shift, the need for a common skills language has never been more urgent. This common language ensures that businesses and individuals alike can identify and develop the skills required to thrive. Relying solely on educational achievements, credentials and past experience as proxies for necessary skills perpetuates talent scarcity and excludes many who could contribute significantly to the workforce. The World Economic Forum ’s Global Skills Taxonomy provides a structured and shared language for skills, helping businesses, govern- ments and the education industry align on skill requirements and labou r-market trends. By using this taxonomy, stakeholders can collaborate to effectively reskill and upskill talent, directly ad- dressing labou r-market shortages. The adoption of a unified skills taxonomy of fers numerous benefits. For businesses, it enables strategic workforce planning and more effective recruitment, broadens talent pipeline, and faci- litates talent development, ensuring alignment between employee skills and evolving busi-ness needs. Governments can develop effec- tive workforce policies that better meet market needs and enable strategic national priorities while the education industry can adapt their pro-grammes to meet industry needs, equipping graduates with the relevant skills for success. The Global Skills Taxonomy Adoption Toolkit serves as an essential resource and offers prac-tical guidance for leaders across sectors – from businesses, governments and the education in-dustry – to embed this taxonomy in their talent management strategies. The toolkit is designed for a wide audience, including: –Business leaders: Chief Learning Officers(CLOs), Chief Human Resources Of ficers (CHROs), Chief Strategic Officers (CSOs),Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officers (CDOs),Chief Technology Officers (CTO), and Headsof Workforce Development, all of whom shapetalent development. –Government officials: Chief Skills Officers(CSKOs); Ministers and Directors of Educa-tion, Skills, and Employment; Chief InnovationOf ficers (CIOs); workforce policy advisors; and labour-market analysts, who play critical rolesin nation’s skills development policy and work-force readiness. –Education industry leaders: Chief AcademicOfficers (CAOs), Chief Learning Officers, Di- rectors of Curriculum Development, University Presidents, Chief Transformation Officers, Deans, and Heads of Career Services, all of whom influence curriculum alignment and graduate preparedness for market needs. Grounded in research and extensive stakehold- er input, this toolkit is both a resource and a call to action, enabling organizations to collective-ly build a resilient, future-ready workforce. By adopting this common framework, stakeholders can collectively address the challenges posed by the evolving labour market and prepare workers for the jobs of tomorrow. This toolkit complements, integrates and builds upon other key publications of the World Eco-nomic Forum’s Reskilling Revolution Initiative: Building a Common Language for Skills at Work A Global Taxonomy, Putting Skills First: A Frame-work for Action and Putting Skills First Opportu-nities for Building Efficient and Equitable Labour Markets. For more information, or to get involved, please contact the World Economic Forum’s New Economy and Society team at [email protected]. Global Skills Taxonomy Adoption Toolkit 4