Why women, youth need soft skills as the future of work takes shape

The emergence of artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots such as ChatGPT and virtual assistants is causing major shifts in the future of work.

A PricewaterhouseCoopers report estimates that more women than men will bear the brunt of these changes as AIs displace secretarial and administrative occupations.

Gender disparities in the labour market are likely to worsen with the new developments in future work, which will undermine the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 5 – gender equality.

As more and more roles become automated or get displaced by AIs, what skills will be critical for young women to gain employment in the future?

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Women are overrepresented in roles that require advanced soft-skills, including communication and emotional intelligence.

Skills such as empathy and collaboration are very difficult to recreate in AIs. This presents an opportunity for women’s work in the future.

Despite heavy investment and a long history of technical and vocational education and training (TVET) institutions in Kenya, youth unemployment remains high, particularly among young women.

Statistics from the International Labour Organisation show that at 15 percent, the unemployment rate among young females was two percentage points higher than that of young males in 2021.

While the traditional TVET curriculum addresses important gaps in technical skills, soft-skills training, including non-cognitive or socio-emotional skills, is typically ignored.

Evidence from International Labour Organization School to Work Transition surveys reveals several factors contributing to young women facing protracted difficulties in transitioning to formal and informal employment.

These include gender-based employment segregation and social and cultural norms that discourage or prevent women from pursuing higher education or working in certain types of jobs.

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Glory Mutungi, the Chief Principal at the Nairobi Technical Training Institute, says “the traditional technical and vocational education and training curriculum concentrates on technical skills. There is a big gap in acquiring soft skills, yet, these are very important for young people when they are looking for jobs or even for those opting for self-employment after graduation. This is even more true for young women who face unique barriers.”