reskilling and upskilling are essential.

Accept what you can’t change. Work to change what you can. And have the wisdom to know the difference.



Recently I’ve thought a lot about that philosophical gem. The desire for control is human, especially now. But we can’t change that we’re in the midst of a pandemic. What we can control is how we respond and adapt to it.



We published Randstad’s Q2 results a few days ago, and one of my key messages was that reskilling and upskilling are essential to our economic health. Before the crisis I’d spoken often about how digitalization was changing what employers need. Even in this crisis many companies are hiring, but often it’s hard to find people with the right skills.



At Randstad we’re doing our part to help people stay competitive. In the Netherlands we offered 14,000 people the chance to retrain for jobs we know are in demand. Surprisingly, only 1,000 have taken us up on the offer so far.



Why wait? My advice is clear - whether you’re unemployed or simply uncertain about the future, change what you can by taking the opportunity to reskill or upskill.



The support plans providing relief have been successful, but cannot be part of a long term plan. By adapting we can help put our economic security back in our own hands. Let’s keep moving forward.

#skillsforlife #inthistogether