Hyper Island

Hyper Island launches FutureFit program together with Nesta and Google

Written by Hyper Island | Feb 18, 2020 12:00:00 AM
Hyper Island launches FutureFit program together with Nesta and Google, an innovative training program designed to empower workers with new skills and mindset to help the participants adapt to the changing workplace.

The name of the project is FutureFit.

Hyper Island has designed the learning journey so that the participants will:

  • learn in a way that empowers them to develop new skills allowing them to adapt to changes in their workplace
  • gain a larger understanding of the digital skills needed in their sector
  • improve on their employability skills 

In addition, we are tapping into our innovative methods to develop learning approaches that positively affect learner behavior, motivation, resilience, creative thinking, social intelligence and problem solving. The goal behind this is to train and strengthen our learners self leadership to continue the learning beyond the course.

 

 
The launch of the FutureFit program

 

About the program

FutureFit is a 6 week long online course free for selected members of the three Unions Vision, Finansförbundet and Unionen. The focus is on developing digital skills and work related competence for the now and future. The program is designed so that participants can take part during or after work hours. As part of the training they will learn through using collaborative digital technologies such as Slack, Zoom and other tools for learning virtually.

About the participants

The program targeted professionals within administration, back office and assistants.

  • 2440 applications were received 
  • 505 were selected to participate
  • The average age is 49 years (approximately half of the participants are born in the 1960’s)
  • 87% female

Participants come from a whole breadth of industries and from all over Sweden.

The CEO of TCO’s think tank Futurion Ann-Therése Enarsson shared that their launched Futureproof Index shows that almost 700 000 people or 14% of the Swedish population believe it would be difficult to find a similar job if they were to lose their current one. Only one in four believe they have a safe position in the labor market. Also 22% experience that they are not getting sufficient training and competence development from their employer.

Other benefits we aim to provide with the program

Nesta will also use this opportunity to generate new insights about the effectiveness of training, learning models and approaches through skills assessment through a collaboration with Göteborgs university that will measure learning through the participants course.

Ultimately this course is a part of larger program that seeks to identify and test innovative approaches to reskilling that in the future can inform the design of more effective training provision for workers at risk of automation. It has the potential of providing governments, unions and other senior stakeholders with practical interventions that can boost skills across the workforce at scale. 

Therese Svanström, President of TCO, The Swedish Confederation of Professional Employees, comprised of 13 affiliated trade unions, said at the launch event for the program, that new forms of cooperation are needed for sufficient progress to be made in reskilling the workforce. We now are moving away from the alarmist message of major job loss to major restructuring with a potential for a net increase of jobs. However, the unions, employers, politicians and educational institutions need to work together to solve the challenges of reskilling but it isn’t the first time ever these important parties collaborate to do so. Futurefit is unconventional in that it is parties that don’t traditionally collaborate that are coming together to build new solutions. She also highlights that learning can not be seen as the entry ticket to a career but must be viewed as something needed throughout peoples entire careers.


Said about the program:

“Absolutely the most rewarding and interesting program I have ever participated in. A huge lift for me in both private and working life. Despite the program being remote, the mentors created a personal contact and presence that provided security and a sense of belonging with other course participants. Experience based learning has been a red thread through the program, through which I start from myself in every exercises, learned how to reflect, interpret, process and perform tasks from new perspectives. An important program for today’s and tomorrow’s society. It really got me excited! Thank you SO much! "

“A superb concept to make its employees employable when it comes to digital competence, collaboration and own development. Wish more people had this opportunity in their workplaces.”

“I would like to advise middle-aged women & men to participate in this program. Especially to people who today do not dare or feel limited in the use of digital services.”

“I am so happy that I dared to sign up and join. I took the time to be involved and engaged in every aspect, and that gave me so much back. I wished I could spend a whole day working with these wonderful people at Hyper Island who have incredible knowledge of how everything works and gave me great tools to work with when I was in a place that felt a little hopeless and depressed. Just what I needed to be inspired and find focus again. Focus on what is important in life. Wish we could continue to meet.”

“The program has been the most rewarding I’ve ever done. Being able to access many tools, exercises and knowledge in a relatively short time is what I am most impressed with. Having live sessions with engaged course leaders and doing exercises with positive people was a new and fun way that inspired me. I could do exercises and reflect at my own pace. I liked the pace of the course that made me stay active and not quit. Thousand thanks!”

“Hyper Island has the most professional trainers and inspirational speakers. I recommend it to everyone, regardless of age and prior knowledge. It opens new avenues in both private and working life. New knowledge for life!”

“I am so grateful that you highlighted a very often forgotten profession, ie all of us who are in environments that can be regarded as “back-office”. All the positive spirit that Hyper Island has provided during these few weeks has changed all of us who are struggling in the headwind, we who are expected to just fix everything possible and impossible without any credit …. Hyper Island you gave us strength and courage to embrace the digital world.”