The third year of Futurion provided us with insights on, and more knowledge about, the challenges facing Swedish white-collar workers. Our ambition is to be a type of a future lab, creating ideas and finding solutions for our future work life. In addition, it is important for us to provide information on the Nordic model (SWE. “partsmodellen”) and explain the conditions for trade unions’ work and influence tomorrow.
In early 2018, Futurion published and presented the report The True Causes of Populism, raising the issue of how fear of changes in the labour market was closely linked to political tendencies, explaining the shift towards populistic views. The explanation probably also is the emergence of right-wing nationalists and authoritarian parties in the western world. They pose a threat to liberal democracy and a model of society we have agreed upon in Sweden.
One of the biggest challenges of our time is adapting to the digital transformation. How do we solve the question of continuous learning? What future skills are necessary in a robotized work life? And what is digital competence and how do we attain it? These questions have carried us throughout the year, in our talks, at seminars, with collaborators and during our hackathons. Some of them are presented in the annual report.
Another key issue is how our country will manage the Nordic model and reap the benefits of what has helped us historically to combine job conversion with security. This will be focus for the coming year, and we will ask the question “What’s the deal with the union?”. By shedding light on the topic and viewing it through different lenses, we hope to discuss the challenges ahead facing the Nordic model.
The year of 2019 will definitely be one of constructive solutions to whatever issue we will encounter on our way forward, leaving behind us the past period of political turbulence. Futurion is looking forward to meeting and engaging with others through talks and is charging to gain more insights with the aim to set the best foundation for future work life.
Below is an excerpt of the activities carried out and publications made during the past year.
Publications
- Annual Report 2018
- What Digital Competence? A guide to a secured future digital competence and transformation
- The True Causes of Populism – Automation and Other Changes in the Workplace (2017:1)
Seminars
- November 19th– [Full day programme at] Internetdagarna 2018
- October 22nd– Among outsiders and insecure insiders
- August 28th– Skewed self-image, self-fulfilling prophesy
- July 4th– YouTube, Yale or something inbetween – where and how do we secure our future education?
- July 2nd– Mobile prohibition and prayer calls – do the politicans spend their time on social problems or symbolic issues?
- April 18th– What’s the deal with Sweden? – How do jobs and growth get affected by a geopolitical unstable world?
- March 15th – Presentation of the report The True Causes of Populism – Automation and Other Changes in the Workplace
- January 24th– Where do you draw the line – the impact of the digital work life on work-life balance
Workshops/hackathons
- November 27th– Gamechanger in the chase for talent and competence
- November 19th– What digital competence?
- July 4th– The gaming world, a game changer in the chase for talent and competence
- July 6th– A hackathon for smart future solutions
- June 16th– Future Skills Lounge
Podcast: Future Skills (SWE. “Framtidens färdigheter”, only in Swedish)
- Episode 1. Carl Benedikt Frey, researcher, Oxford Martin School – Digital transformation does not happen over night
- Episode 2. Anders Wallner, Special Commissioner, Government Offices Sweden – On Development Holiday
- Episode 3. Jannie Jeppesen, CEO, Swedish EdTech Industries – Competence is the best future investment
- Episode 4. Carl Melin, Head of Research, Futurion – Future job security instead of insecure insiders
- Episode 5. Sofie Högbom, CEO Ping Pong – Learning organisations is built on leadership
- Episode 6. Frida Plym Forshell, Labour Director at Nacka Municipality – The future digital management is in the sensors