WOW - UNVEILING THE COLOURS OF THE ECONOMY

The ITCILO International Training Centre of the International Labour Organization and the ETF - European Training Foundation’s Skills Lab Network of Experts join forces to organize the three-day event “WOW - Unveiling the Colours of the Economy”. By combining their strengths, ITCILO and ETF aim to facilitate a dialogue that uses the colour framework to address current economic challenges and prepare industries for future demands. This collaboration marks a shared vision to prepare a resilient global workforce that is well-equipped to navigate and shape an increasingly complex economic scenery.

This dialogue on the future World of Work aims to forge a deeper understanding of the economic spectrum and inspire actions that drive sustainable and inclusive growth by bringing together experts, practitioners, and stakeholders in a collaborative environment.

As digital technologies reshape industries, an ever increasing globalization redefines trade, and sustainable development grows as a priority, the boundaries between economic sectors are increasingly blurred, prompting a need for deeper analysis and innovative approaches to create a new heuristic method to systemically analyse evolving economies and societies. In this dynamic environment, the world of work faces significant transformations—jobs are changing, new skills are in demand, and inter-sectoral collaboration is becoming crucial. Employing a colour-coded framework helps visualizing these complex interrelationships and offers a structured yet flexible approach to explore how different sectors adapt and converge in response to technological advances and global market shifts, ultimately influencing employment trends, workplace conditions, and economic growth.

The colours which will be at the heart of the event are the following:

• Blue Economy: sustainable marine and freshwater management, including fisheries, aquaculture, and water-based tourism, ensuring ecosystem health and economic viability;
• Gold Economy: technology and digitalization, activities leading high-tech innovation such as digital finance, advanced technologies, and premium digital services;
• Green Economy: with a focus on the Circular Economy: sustainability, renewable energy, green manufacturing, and eco-friendly practices aimed at minimizing environmental footprints and optimizing the use of resources;
• Orange Economy: cultural and creative industries, encompassing arts, entertainment, fashion, design, architecture, advertising, software, publishing, and research and development;
• Silver Economy: targets the aging population’s needs and aspirations, focusing on entrepreneurship, older workers, retirement planning, and age-friendly products and services;
• White Economy: health and social care sectors, critical for societal well-being and in facing challenges like resilience in a poly-crisis context;
• Yellow Economy: new development models and opportunities in the desert, such as desert tourism, use of renewable energies, sustainable agriculture and enterprise development.

• Policy Planners and Officials;
• Executives of Ministries of Labour and Education
• Executives of Sectoral Ministries
• Leaders from Employers’ and Workers’ organisations
• Researchers and Experts on human capital development;
• Practitioners in Vocational Training and Workforce Development
• Members and representatives of Civil Society;
• Local Decision-Makers and representatives of Local Authorities
• Members of the ETF Skills Lab Network of Experts

The three-day immersive event will allow participants to explore the economic and societal landscape through the lenses of the colour-coded framework. Our methodology is designed to foster active participation, incorporate cutting-edge technology in learning, and involve participants in a strategic foresight exercise to envision future economic scenarios.

DAY 1: INSPIRATION

The event begins with a common reflection on the future of the world of work. This will be followed by several plenary sessions, providing insights of each of the colours of the economy.

DAY 2: DEEP DIVE

Participants will choose the colour they will focus on and join our group of experts to explore, debate, and exchange experiences through a future-foresight methodology. Each parallel group will work on identifying current trends within each colour, its possible development trajectories, the key upcoming challenges, and an action oriented pathway to achieve an inclusive and just future.

DAY 3: CONVERGENCE

The final day will bring together the initial reflections and the foresight-driven insights from the previous sessions and exercises, guiding participants to integrate these learnings into discussions on key cross-cutting topics including:

• Labour market evolution, including skills anticipation and job creation;
• Comprehensive strategies for upskilling and reskilling;
• Advancing equality, diversity, and inclusion with a special emphasis on gender and youth;
• Exploring the implications of technological advancements such as AI;
• Adapting to evolving workplace conditions.

• Understand and explore the economic and societal landscape through the lenses of the colour-coded framework
• Delve onto global economic trends and a reflection on the future of the world of work
• Engage with experts and innovators from the various sectors
• Participate in hands-on strategic foresight exercises
• Foster cross-sector collaboration
• Certification and professional development

                                         Questions? Reach us at catalyst@itcilo.org