Decent work, sustainable livelihoods and climate action: Time for a clean slate?

Abstract

Jobs have arguably failed to deliver for most job holders worldwide, with mass precariousness now the norm across the globe. Where does this leave career development, which is often associated with jobs? One constant is working to make a living. Securing that goal into the future – which is what ‘career’ implies – may require more than just what the United Nations/International Labour Organization call ‘Decent work’. ‘Sustainable Livelihoods’ span multiple forms of work, emphasise social connectedness, including social protection against crises of all kinds, plus protecting the ecosystem for present and future generations. As such, they resonate with all 17 of the 2015–2030 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. They further imply re-starting anew with a metaphorical clean slate concerning how we (meaning all work and career professionals) conceptualise work, and work together to support sustainable careers for others. Biased in Humanitarian Work Psychology, this paper starts to sketch out a shape for that collaboration.

Industry 5.0: A comprehensive insight into the future of work, social sustainability, sustainable development, and career

“…Gaining technical digital skills (e.g., technology usage, monitoring, control, programming, cybersecurity; Poláková et al, 2023) is challenging for human workers, particularly in tasks like programming industrial robots (Adel, 2022). Companies must invest in employee training to bridge the skills gap and adapt to innovations (Bigerna et al, 2023; Cillo et al, 2022; Ghobakhloo et al, 2023; Mourtzis et al, 2022). Nevertheless, Industry 5.0 brings a set of opportunities not to be missed: Industry 5.0 positively impacts human creativity and involvement by placing operators at the center of the manufacturing process, emphasizing the coexistence and collaboration between humans and machines (Huang et al, 2022).…”

“…Gaining technical digital skills (e.g., technology usage, monitoring, control, programming, cybersecurity; Poláková et al, 2023) is challenging for human workers, particularly in tasks like programming industrial robots (Adel, 2022). Companies must invest in employee training to bridge the skills gap and adapt to innovations (Bigerna et al, 2023; Cillo et al, 2022; Ghobakhloo et al, 2023; Mourtzis et al, 2022).…”

“…The cultivation and enhancement of soft skills are essential for establishing positive social connections and facilitating professional and personal growth. Including a reflection on the concept of sustainable livelihoods (Carr, 2023) and its relationship with decent work, Carr (2023) emphasized the importance of creating work environments that prioritize dignity, fairness, and well-being for workers for promoting career and sustainable work. Besides, regarding personal growth, Guichard (2022) proposed interventions supporting the construction of active lives, aiming to broaden the perspective and encompass all dimensions of life (e.g., unpaid voluntary work, activities for personal development, etc.).…”