11 Trends That Could Rock Your Work World By 2030 

Topics like artificial intelligence, virtual reality, and blockchain, have generated enough media buzz that general awareness about the impact they could have on the world of work is quite high. While these more mature trends are significant, it was 11 emerging industry trends that really caught our eye in a recent report from Toronto Thinktank, The Brookfield Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship. 

These trends may not be garnering as much hype, but they’re still worth a closer look. Turn and Face the Strange: Changes Impacting the Future of Employment in Canadaoutlines a total of 31 trends that could impact the future of Canada’s labour market over the next 10–15 years and categorizes them as either mature, emerging, or weak. Here are the 11 trends identified as emerging that have the potential to disrupt the way we all work by the end of the next decade. 

3D Printing 
From houses and human tissue to shoes and food products, 3D printing is turning the way things are produced on its head. There’s no doubt that could inspire a ripple effect on the job market, especially in fields like manufacturing and construction. 

FAGMA 
What do you get when you combine the digital influence of Facebook, Apple, Microsoft, Google, and Amazon? FAGMA, yes, but also multiple market domination that may leave little room for others to compete. As these huge tech companies expand their influence into a broader range of industries, expect the potential for an increase in demand for multidisciplinary talent. 

Digital Identity 
Every online click is being collected, and the combined value of these created digital identities is massive. This could drive demand for jobs involving data protection as well as make a significant impact on the field of employee recruitment. 

Lifelong Learning 
A “one-and-done” degree or diploma approach to education may become a relic of the past in order for employees to keep up with the speed of technological change. Prepare for a shift toward self-directed learning, micro-credentialing, and employer training programs targeted at developing specific skillsets. 

Work + Life Integration 
As lines between work life and home life continue to blur, working a 9-5 day for a single employer could go the way of the dinosaur. Flexible work arrangements will get increasingly creative and could include options like working a few days a week for a traditional employer and focusing on a side business or two in the time that remains.  

Climate Refugees 
The continued impact of climate change could spark an increase in disruptions across the globe. This, in turn, could create an influx of refugees to Canada who are seeking shelter from life-threatening conditions. This will do more than increase the size of the Canadian labour poolA talent base with direct knowledge of the life-altering effect of climate change and a strong desire to do something about it could generate significant growth of Canada’s green economy. 

Alternative Energy 
As clean energy sources like solar and wind power become more mainstream, emerging technologies like artificial photosynthesis, bacteria-packed solar cells, and micro-grids will become the new alternatives on the blockThe success of these options could increase the need for workers with related skills to operate these technologies. 

Rebalancing Gender Equity 
The voices of the marginalized are being heard and responded to in a whole new way. Long overdue shifts in gender equity could drive changes in employee recruitment. It could also increase demand for products and services that align with needs of the segments of the population that have traditionally been overlooked or ignored. 

Mandatory Creativity 
Creativity is no longer the sole domain of the design and marketing departments. As creativity becomes a job requirement for a broader range of occupations, methods for teaching creativity will become increasingly accepted as a way of supersizing this skillset 

Education Reimagined 
Is memorization still relevant in a world where everything is just click or two away? Expect learning how to learn, problem solving, resilience, and flexibility to increase in importance in the years to come as education catches up with changes that have taken place regarding access to information. As K – 12 learners (and their parents) adapt to these changes, the market could be ripe for educational programs and services offered outside of the formal education system.  

Cannabis Economy 
The legalization of cannabis in Canada and several U.S. states has created an entirely new industry. Labour market implications include new opportunities in agriculture, retail, product development, and healthcare.  

Do these emerging trends make you excited for the future? Browse our current job opportunities to find a forward-looking new position that could set your career on an energizing new track in ITAutomotiveAerospaceMining, Oil and Gas and more.