With the current professional climate and employment landscape in flux due to COVID-19, one thing remains true: Now and post-pandemic, workers are beginning to envision a different career plan for themselves. What skills are needed to get back to work? Are specific industries now more suitable for continued professional growth than others? What will the situation look like in five, 10, 20 years?
According to a February report by the McKinsey Global Institute, 25% more workers than expected believe that they will need to change their career path.1 In addition, PwC’s March Workforce Pulse Survey found that 32% of U.S. workers now consider the soft skill of problem-solving to be crucial to professional success.2
To address the evolving needs of the workforce and in evaluating the role that the Pressure Sensitive Tape Council (PSTC) can play in encouraging the continued health of our industry, we launched PSTC Tape Academy. The academy serves as a resource for individuals on a variety of career paths and in different roles, in addition to those who are new to the field of PSA tape or considering making a switch to our industry.
Back in April, we announced the release of the first new offering under the umbrella of Tape Academy with our on-demand, online version of the Fundamentals of PSA Tape course. Providing an introduction to the industry with less technical content than our other educational offerings, this virtual course comprises 10 modules that cover a basic overview of all the key technology areas of pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) tape.
While this flexible approach is appropriate for many, some still prefer live interaction with instructors, especially when it comes to learning an entirely new skill. As such, we recently added a second Tape Academy offering: Fundamentals of PSA Tape Applications in Industry Verticals.
Similar to the on-demand Fundamentals of PSA Tape, this course dives deeper into the practical, problem-solving applications of PSA tape in specific industry verticals, including building/construction and transportation. Students from various job roles and seniorities are welcomed to this course, which will be conducted live May 2-5 during Tape Week 2022.
Times have changed and will keep changing as long as the pandemic lasts. As PSTC continues to focus on teaching skills that will be needed and desired by a post-COVID-19 workforce, we remain eager to add even more expert-level courses in the future.
For more information, visit https://pstc.org.
Note: Opening image courtesy of Ridofranz via iStock/Getty Images Plus.
References
- S. Lund, A. Madgavkar, J. Manyika, S. Smit, K. Ellingrud, and O. Robinson, “The future of work after COVID-19,” McKinsey & Co., February 18, 2021, https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/future-of-work/the-future-of-work-after-covid-19.
- “What’s next for America’s workforce post-COVID-19?,” PwC, March 24, 2021, https://www.pwc.com/us/en/services/consulting/workforce-of-the-future/library/workforce-pulse-survey.html.