The topic of skills is often framed as a matter of adaptation.
In reality, we are facing a structural transition.
In Switzerland, this transition is already underway. Nearly one-third of the workforce is now over 50, and around 1.1 million people will retire in the next ten years. At the same time, younger generations are not sufficient to offset these departures.
Concretely, this means two things: growing pressure on the labor market, but above all a significant risk of losing critical knowledge if its transfer is not actively organized.
On top of this, AI is rapidly being integrated into daily work. According to the World Economic Forum, 44% of current skills will change by 2027.
The challenge is therefore not simply to develop new skills.
It is to manage a shift between two systems.
1. What is really changing
Technical skills continue to evolve rapidly. But the most significant shift lies in how work is carried out.
What is becoming critical today is the ability to continuously learn, to collaborate in complex environments, and to make decisions under uncertainty. Social skills — communication, feedback, cooperation — are no longer a “nice to have.” They are the foundation that enables all other skills to create value.
Without them, neither AI, expertise, nor processes are sufficient.
However, these skills do not develop independently of the work environment.
Some organizations are evolving toward more agile ways of working, structured around project teams close to customer needs. These setups foster collaboration, continuous adjustment, and learning in real situations. Others maintain different structures, adapted to their specific constraints.
The key is not to promote a single model, but to design ways of working that are aligned with each organization’s objectives, context, and level of maturity.
2. Structuring the transition within organizations
Many organizations are still reacting rather than proactively structuring this transition.
In a recent organizational development project, a company needed to merge two teams with different cultures, practices, and ways of working. The challenge was not only structural, but deeply human: creating a cohesive team capable of working together quickly while ensuring business continuity.
Rather than imposing a target operating model, the approach focused on mobilizing collective intelligence to co-create the foundations of this new team: clarifying roles, defining collaboration modes, identifying expected behaviors, and anticipating friction points.
This process not only accelerated alignment, but also strengthened ownership and commitment throughout the transition. Teams were no longer subject to change — they became active contributors.
This kind of situation highlights a key point: in times of transformation, the question is not only what to change, but how to engage teams in that change.
This is precisely where Teams Up positions its work:
preparing today’s teams to welcome tomorrow’s, by building with them ways of working adapted to their reality and leveraging co-creation to secure transition phases.
3. AI: an accelerator, not a solution
AI is transforming tools, but it does not replace the ability to use them effectively. According to McKinsey & Company, up to 30% of tasks could be automated by 2030.
These transformations are far more effective when teams are able to collaborate, experiment, and continuously adjust their practices. Once again, this is not just a technological issue, but a collective capability.
The question becomes:
are we, as organizations, ready to work differently with these tools?
4. The role of public institutions: preparing ahead
Companies cannot carry this transformation alone. The education system plays a key role, yet it remains largely structured around stable knowledge.
However, the world of work now requires something different:
adaptability, collaboration, and critical thinking.
Preparing future generations means developing more active, interdisciplinary approaches that are better connected to real-world work. It also means recognizing social skills as core competencies — not secondary ones.
Without this shift, the risk is clear: preparing individuals who are misaligned with actual needs.
5. Conclusion: a matter of alignment… and adaptation
The transition in skills is not just about training. It requires alignment between organizations, individuals, and institutions — as well as the ability to adapt ways of working to real-world contexts.
There is no single model.
But there is a constant: organizations that learn, involve their teams, and continuously adjust their practices are the ones best equipped to navigate this transition.
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