But this isn’t a time to sit back and wait for events to unfold. You can harness these ever-changing opportunities. No matter what career path you choose, upskilling and reskilling will help set you on the right track. In this article, we will outline what the future of work could look like, which key skills are likely to be useful to any workplace, and provide guidance on how you can be better prepared.

Want to prepare for your future?

Harness the future of work changes today with the help of our Business Skills courses. Or discover more about the benefits of transferable skills and how to upskill yourself through continuous learning here.

What Does the Future of Work Look Like?

The future of work consists of a new generation of jobs, brought about by vast technological enhancements. Automation is accelerating as machines evolve and robots take over roles traditionally performed by humans. 20 years ago offices were filled with filing systems, fax machines, and desktop computers. Nowadays, new technology allows us to work flexibly, store data securely and create more agile workplaces. 

Disruptive technologies promise new solutions, further innovation, and new ways to connect with customers and markets. The growth of artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, and other forms of smart automation has the potential to create great economic benefits. However, some of these dramatic changes in today’s working environment have resulted in organisational and human resource challenges that mirror wider social and political upheaval.

The future of work centres around two recurrent themes: investing in your education and focusing on skills training. More detail on the modern need to upskill can be found here.     

Automation and other key technological changes will transform the workplace as people increasingly begin to interact with ever-smarter machines. This brings with it both benefits and risks for the future workplace. 

Some of the benefits include:

• Higher productivity.
• Enhanced communication and collaboration.
• Improved efficiency.
• Potential increase in GDP.
• Improved corporate performance.
• Better decision-making. 
• More opportunities for personal development.

 On the other hand, automation poses risks relating to:

• Compliance and risk mitigation.
• Data breaches.
• User privacy.
• Reputational risk.
• Ethical and legal concerns. 

It’s important to consider both the risks and benefits as you look to prepare for the future of work. By familiarising yourself with these modern attributes you can get the most out of your career. 

How prepared is your business for the rapidly changing future of work? Download our latest report to discover the key to keeping up in an age of digital transformation.

What are the Future of Work Skills?

Future of work trends continue to shine a spotlight on health and wellbeing, equality, and workplace safety. The notion of becoming T-shaped is another quickly emerging trend in the world of employment. Those who possess T-shaped characteristics can be highly valuable to any company. 

As the demand for physical and manual skills falls, the need to learn new technological, social and emotional skills is likely to be greater in the future. No matter which career path you choose, there are a number of skills you should look to develop. 

Desirable future of work skills include:

• Cognitive flexibility – the ability to switch between thinking about different concepts or to think about multiple concepts at the same time.
• Digital literacy.
• Computational and analytical thinking – taking a complex problem and breaking it down into a series of smaller problems that are easier to understand and solve. 
• Communication. 
• Complex problem-solving – a series of observations and informed decisions used to find and implement a solution to a problem. 
• Judgment and decision-making.
• Emotional and social intelligence – the awareness of your own and others’ feelings in the present moment.
• Creative and innovative mindset – forward-thinking that allows you to be open to testing new methods, making mistakes and working collaboratively.
• Self-management.
• Resilience.  
• Active learning – actively participating in the learning process rather than passively taking in information. 
• Stress tolerance.
• Flexibility.
• Leadership and social influence.

Developing your skills in these four key areas – cognitive, interpersonal, self-leadership, and digital – will help kickstart your future in any given career. 

If you’re interested in developing your skills, why not take a look at our Personal Development Courses. Find everything from Communication Skills to Leadership and Management.

How to Prepare for the Future of Work

As the nature of work continues to change, the education we obtain in early adulthood may not equip us all of the knowledge and skills we need for our careers. According to the World Economic Forum’s report on the future of work, improving the access and delivery of reskilling and upskilling opportunities is critical.

With these findings in mind, it’s crucial to begin adapting your skill set to ensure you are prepared for the future of work. You may need to refocus your goals and vision to align with future innovation and create a personal development plan. 

Upskilling brings many benefits for both you and your employer. It demonstrates a commitment to your professional development and career progression and opens up new doors to potential work opportunities. From increasing staff morale to avoiding high employee turnover, being part of an aspirational and ambitious culture has the potential to help everyone in the long run.

It’s important to embrace the changing nature of careers. Where there was once a comfortable and reliable path with the three-stage life approach – find a job, climb the corporate ladder, then retire – now, there are more flatter, fluid career paths you may choose to take. This allows you the opportunity to pivot and reinvent yourself over and over if you so wish. 

There are four key steps anyone can follow to ensure you are prepared for the future of work. Here are some tips to get you started:

1. Evaluate your current skills and work out if there are any you lack. Through self-reflection you are able to better understand your development needs and identify which skills to work on. 
2. Search for potential learning opportunities. This could be through finding a mentor, reading more, or taking an online training course.  
3. Reskill and look at transferable skills. Prioritise the skills you need right now, create a personal development plan, and commit to it. 
4. Learn. Continuous learning is your best chance at keeping up with a world that is constantly changing. 

If you wish to learn more about how you can upskill yourself, take a look at our article here.

Although technology and automation are accelerating rapidly, they are also creating a multitude of opportunities for you to grasp. New skills will continue to emerge, but by growing and upskilling yourself today, you will be better prepared for the future of work.

Further Resources:

• Transferable Skills: What Are They and Why Are They Important?
• Leadership and Management Training
• What is the Importance of Digital Skills in the Workplace?
• Report: The Future of Work
• Time Management Matrix – Free Template

The post What are the Skills for the Future of Work? appeared first on The Hub | High Speed Training.

By helping to prevent accidents, injuries, and any work-related illness, health and safety officers support their employer to ensure that staff are provided with a safe and secure environment to work in. Alongside the responsibility of the employer and employees to uphold health and safety at work, this role is centred around managing risks.

In this article, we explore how to become a health and safety officer, providing guidance on the roles and responsibilities involved, and tips to help you get started. We also look at which policies and procedures should be implemented in accordance with current legislation, so that you are able to make informed decisions when it comes to everyone’s safety.

Want to become a Health & Safety Officer?

Learn about common workplace hazards and discover how to keep everyone safe with our accredited Health and Safety training courses, designed to equip you with the knowledge required to recognise potential risks in your business.

What is a Health and Safety Officer?

A health and safety officer is a qualified individual responsible for monitoring and controlling health and safety compliance in an organisation. As a health and safety officer, you continuously promote safety awareness by ensuring accident prevention and the correct health and safety measures are followed at all times.

Constant vigilance is a vital asset to any organisation in order to prevent any foreseeable accidents or injuries from occurring. It is imperative that health and safety officers are familiar with the Health & Safety at Work Act 1974 and other relevant health and safety legislation. They should be aware of general duties, regulations and approved codes of practice, enforcement, obtaining and disclosure of information, and provisions.

In this role, you will need to maintain safety information, shape new protocols, and strengthen existing policies. Health and safety officers play a very important role in helping to protect people from harm, supporting a more efficient and productive place of work. 

By familiarising yourself with current legislation, you are one step closer to ensuring a constant safe environment to work in. Whether you work in an office, on construction sites, or even in a school, becoming a health and safety officer is a rewarding career. 

As a health and safety officer, you have the opportunity to specialise in one specific area, such as first aid or fire safety, or you may want to provide guidance on any safety related issues. Whichever route you take, you will be responsible for supporting your employer to maintain a high standard of health and safety and ensure employees’ welfare and well-being is protected at all times.

Health and Safety Officer Roles and Responsibilities

Both you and your organisation have certain responsibilities to uphold when it comes to protecting those at work and who may be affected by the business’s work activities (e.g. members of the public). As a health and safety officer, your principal responsibility is to ensure the safety of all individuals at all times, and you will have a wide range of duties to accomplish this. Officers should be aware of their roles and responsibilities in order to support their employer in ensuring the ongoing effectiveness of control measures put in place by the competent person (who may be the employer, the health and safety officer, or someone else).

Typically, health and safety officers focus on inspecting the workplace areas to ensure compliance with relevant legislation. It is part of their duty to familiarise themselves with common workplace hazards and understand how to manage these if they become risks. This can help you to make informed decisions when it comes to developing and supporting effective policies.

In general, health and safety officers could be responsible for:

• Constantly monitoring and assessing hazardous or unsafe situations.
• Creating health and safety policies tailored to the specific work activities.
• Implementing health and safety procedures. 
• Carrying out risk assessments.
• Testing electrical equipment.
• Assessing previous accidents and determining what went wrong and how this could be prevented.
• Maintaining contact with those off work due to illness or injury.
• Distributing relevant information on accident prevention. 
• Identifying which individuals need protecting from potential hazards
• Consistently communicating with employees.
• Supporting employees and arranging training where necessary. 
• Communicating with the first aider and/or appointed person on provision, such as first aid kits.
• Undergoing relevant health and safety training to keep knowledge up to date.

Health and safety officers are responsible for leading health and safety practices through policies which utilise plan, do, check, and act. 

• Plan – set the direction for effective health and safety management. 
• Do – introduce practices that ensure risks are dealt with sensibly and responsibly.
• Check – monitor and make recommendations.
• Act – carry out a formal review of health and safety performance.

By following these four steps, no matter where you work, you are ensuring that health and safety is effectively managed in the workplace at all times. 

As a health and safety officer, your principal responsibility is to ensure all individuals are kept safe and healthy at all times. However, remember that it is the employer’s duty to create this work environment and for you to support them in achieving and maintaining this on their behalf.

All employees are entitled to work in an environment where any risks to their health and safety are properly controlled and they will be safe and healthy. Although it is the health and safety officer’s duty to help maintain these measures, workers have a duty to take care of their own health and safety, and that of others, too. They must cooperate with both those they work with and their employers and follow all instructions and their training at all times. If they have any specific queries or concerns relating to health and safety in their workplace, they must talk to their health and safety officer immediately. These actions help to ensure the work environment is a safe and healthy one at all times.

Depending on the environment you choose to work in, your responsibilities as a health and safety officer may differ. For example, a health and safety officer working on a construction site will have varying responsibilities compared to those who work in education, healthcare or an office.

Is Health and Safety a Good Career?

No matter what industry or environment you choose to work in, unfortunately accidents do happen. In your role as a health and safety officer, you will have the opportunity to work with employees to control risks and promote a positive working environment. With this in mind, a health and safety officer could be an incredibly fulfilling role if you are keen to help others.

Not only do you have the potential to save lives, with the flexibility of working in a range of industries for businesses of all different types and sizes, you have the ability to work all over the world. If so, you need to be aware of the relevant legislation and laws of the country in which the business is based. With the right knowledge and skills, you can reap the benefits whilst promoting a positive health and safety culture in your workplace.

For example, promoting positive health and safety in a school is important to a number of people, from pupils to teachers, governors and parents. Therefore, it is a health and safety officer’s duty to be the focal point for the school’s health and safety management arrangements.

A health and safety officer is an essential role in every organisation, whether you opt to work as part of an in-house team, independently, or for a larger organisation. Becoming a health and safety officer is a job in which anyone with the right skill set and qualifications can undertake effectively.

How to Start a Career in Health and Safety

It takes either a university degree, apprenticeship or training through a professional body to become a health and safety officer. The level at which you are entering this occupation determines the steps you should take in order to fully prepare for the role. From gaining the relevant qualifications to applying, the process of becoming a health and safety officer can typically take somewhere between one to five years.

Skills Required

• Good communication skills.
• Good knowledge base on health and safety.
• An eye for detail.
• Problem solving skills.
• Writing skills.
• Organisational skills.

College Courses and Apprenticeships

Usually, you are required to have 2 to 3 A Levels or the equivalent for a qualification if you choose this pathway. Or, for an apprenticeship you typically need 5 GCSEs at grade 9-4 (A*-C). 

Other Qualifications

Whilst an in-depth knowledge and understanding may help in getting you started, there are also certain training qualifications required. This can vary depending on the setting in which you wish to work, however, either way, it is crucial to keep your training regularly updated. 

Our health and safety training courses may act as evidence of industry-related training for accreditation applications, offering a gateway towards a hugely enriching career. The recommended renewal period for health and safety training will vary depending on industry best practice guidelines, but is typically between one to three years depending on the type of training.

If you wish to become a health and safety officer having already pursued a different career path, there are other routes you can take whilst working. For example, you could study for a health and safety qualification part-time or online alongside your day-to-day job.

Becoming a health and safety officer comes with huge responsibilities. Supporting employee well-being and managing workplace risks can make all environments a safer, more successful place to work. A health and safety officer is an essential role in every organisation, whether you opt to work as part of an in-house team, independently, or for a larger organisation. Becoming a health and safety officer is a job in which anyone with the right skill set and qualifications can undertake effectively.

Further Resources:

• What are the Roles and Responsibilities of a Health and Safety Manager?
• What is the Difference Between Hazard and Risk? 
• Health and Safety Signs Quiz
• Health and Safety Quiz
• Health and Safety Training

The post How to Become a Health and Safety Officer: Key Roles and Responsibilities appeared first on The Hub | High Speed Training.