Global economies at all stages of development are going through profound changes in the nature of jobs and labour. Demographic shifts, global influences such as climate change, and technological innovation are shaping the future of work in ways that risk creating a mismatch between today’s training and tomorrow’s employment options. How can nations anticipate the jobs of the future to ensure that workers receive appropriate skills development while safeguarding their right to decent work? And will Japan be ready for the work of the future?

In this video, International Labour Organisztion Director-General Guy Ryder joins UNU Research Officer Cale Salih for a conversation discussing these pressing questions on the future of work, along with their pertinence to the Sustainable Development Goals.

About the speaker

Guy Ryder has served as ILO Director-General since October 2012, and was recently re-elected for a second term, which will commence in October 2017. Prior, he served as ILO Executive Director. Ryder has also had a distinguished career as General Secretary of both the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions and its successor organisation, the International Trade Union Confederation. He has headed international trade union delegations to high-level talks with the UN, the International Monetary Fund, and the World Bank, amongst others.

Ryder studied Social and Political Sciences at the University of Cambridge, and Latin American Studies at the University of Liverpool. He speaks English, Spanish, and French