Digital platform launched to evaluate jobseekers' remote readiness skills

Remote working became widespread during the pandemic. Getty Images

ETS, a global education and talent solutions entity, has teamed up with the US-based career tech platform Localized to launch a digital initiative that will assess the remote readiness skills of job seekers, as more people opt to work remotely or in a hybrid environment.

Anywherepro evaluates skills that are essential for professionals to succeed in a remote environment, including effective communication, cross-functional collaboration, mentorship and feedback, the two companies said on Tuesday.

Skills will be evaluated through a test that costs $29.99, according to the ETS website. After passing the test, candidates will get a digital badge that can be displayed on their LinkedIn and other recruitment platforms.

“Employers today are looking for talent across the globe that can demonstrate that they are skilled at taking on the demands of our evolving global economy,” said Michelle Froah, senior vice president of corporate solutions at ETS.

Anywherepro will equip employers “with the tools and solutions they need to measure the capabilities of talent across the globe to enhance their workforce and build robust, effective teams no matter where they are located”.

The announcement comes as digital jobs, which can be performed from anywhere, continue to rise globally amid a rapid adoption of technology and growing acceptance of online work.

Remote working has been especially widespread since the Covid-19 pandemic, when the shift to working from home became the new normal. Many employers opted to allow their staff to continue working remotely rather than requiring them to return to the office on a full-time basis.

The World Economic Forum expects global digital jobs to rise to 92 million by 2030 from 73 million currently, it said in April.

In lower and middle-income countries especially, a surplus of skilled and educated workers exists, the WEF said. These workers could help fill labour shortages experienced in high and upper-middle-income countries through global digital jobs.

For example, Hungary, Germany and Belgium have relative shortages in technology, creativity and problem-solving skills. Meanwhile, the Ivory Coast, Ghana and Jordan have workers with these skills and labour surpluses, it said.

“[The rise of] global digital jobs pose an opportunity for both the labour markets in advanced economies that have been exceptionally tight and for developing economies that face higher unemployment rates through connecting talent and job opportunities across borders,” the WEF said.

Localized works with universities in the GCC and across the Middle East, including King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Carnegie Mellon Qatar, Princess Sumaya University for Technology in Jordan, New York University Abu Dhabi and more.

The initiative could also help recruiters in the UAE and the broader region as they look to employ the right talent amid significant advances in the technology sector, such as artificial intelligence.

The UAE's digital economy is expected to grow to more than $140 billion in 2031, up from almost $38 billion last year, according to a report by the Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy.

AI is among the top 10 skill shortages listed by employers in the UAE, according to the Cooper Fitch 2024 UAE Salary Guide.

With AI on course to contribute about $96 billion to the UAE’s economy by the end of the decade, qualified and experienced technology candidates are likely to remain in high demand among large tech companies and government entities alike, the recruitment consultancy said.