This document discusses how the workforce is changing and the skills needed for the future. It outlines CILIPS' workforce development strategy to position the profession as an attractive career, build a future-ready workforce with digital skills, and ensure access to skills training. The strategy aims to define a new view of professionalism and clarify CILIPS' role in workforce development. Tips are provided for finding jobs, including using networks and highlighting transferable skills in applications and interviews.

1. New Professionals and CILIPS
Future Proofing your career

2. We’re living in the early days of a
revolution in the ways in which people
use information and technology in
their daily lives.
In the next 20-30 years, every person,
every organisation and business will
need access to library & information
skills and professional values to
succeed.

3. The workforce
Consulting/independent information professionals Prison
Further Education/Colleges Public
Government and Armed Forces Research
Health Care School
Social Care Special Collections
Higher Education (including LIS teaching staff) Industry (Extraction)*
Law Industry (Manufacturing)**
Museums, Archives, Galleries and Heritage Industry (Commercial Services)***
National Libraries Not working****
Not for profit/3rd sector/Charity Other
* Any extraction industries, for example: Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing, Mining, Quarrying
** Any Manufacturing industries, for example: Pharmaceutical, Aerospace, Automotive
*** Any commercial service industries: Business, Finance, Communications, Hospitality, Retail
**** Unemployed/Retired/Full-time Student/Career Break

4. Workforce Mapping
• Full sector breakdown:

5. The UK workforce by 2030
“The global labour market in 2030 is likely to be highly competitive. New attitudes and
behaviours will be needed by individuals and businesses founded on flexibility,
resilience, collaboration, entrepreneurism and creativity. Above all, the ability to
respond to continuous change will be critical.”
“Technological growth, and the accompanying changes in business models, make the
continuous adaptation of skill sets absolutely fundamental for successful participation
in the labour market.”
UK Commission for Employment and Skills into the social, economic, technological,
demographic and other changes likely to impact on the workforce by 2030

6. Workforce Development Strategy 2019-2024
The Workforce Development Strategy sets out our priorities to 2024:
• Position the profession as an attractive, accessible and aspirational career choice
• Attract, retain and develop diverse talent
• Build a future-ready workforce with digital skills
• Prioritise diversity, equality, representation and inclusion
• Maximise the value of an intergenerational workforce
• Embrace ‘leadership at every level’
• Connect the supply of skills with changing employer demand
• Work in partnership with learning providers to ensure access to skills and CPD
• Define a new, inclusive and progressive view of ‘professionalism’ in our sector
• Clarify our own regulatory or developmental role

7. Workforce Development Strategy 2019-2024
Through our work with employers and employer groups, the messages we are getting are that
employers are ‘hiring for attitude, training for skills’ and are looking to recruit information
professionals that can:
• Be user/customer focused
• Be ready to learn and adapt
• Help their organisation learn and adapt
• Help them harness knowledge, AI, automation, data
• Help them develop and promote reading, literacy & skills
• Embrace perpetual change
• Adopt a ‘marketing mindset’

8. Professional Registration
• Certification and Chartership open to all
• New Knowledge and Information Management option
• Not just about qualifications
• Creating critical and reflective practitioners
• Good for assessing experience and identifying gaps

9. How CILIP and CILIPS can help
• Conferences and events (some free)
• Branches and Groups
• Careers information
• Information Professional Jobs
• Meet our Members and New Voices blogs
• Case studies
• Professional development funding (and other)
• New professionals group?

10. Finding a new job – some tips
• Remember many jobs are hidden
• Create job alerts - Good Moves, S1, jobs.ac.uk,
MyJobScotland, NHS Scotland Recruitment
• Become part of local networks
• Say yes to as much as possible in your current job
• Opportunities come from unlikely sources
• Ask for help, consider a mentor

11. Job applications
• Highlight transferable skills
• Application - spell out how you meet the criteria
• Interview so important – don’t assume they know
• Presentations are an opportunity to shine

12. Thank you!
sean.mcnamara@cilips.org.uk
@seanjmcnamara1
@cilipscotland