The US comes out as the most ‘future-ready’ country in the inaugural QS World Future Skills Index, leading in preparedness for jobs of the future. The UK and Australia are also ‘Future Skills Pioneers,’ with the former being at the forefront of graduate employability and the latter scoring a perfect 100 in workforce readiness.
The QS World Future Skills Index
Published on 17 January 2025, the index evaluates how well-equipped countries are to meet the evolving demands of the international job markets. It aims to empower governments to attune education and skills with future demand by integrating new technologies and addressing critical gaps such as lack of infrastructure and funding.
The list benchmarks higher education systems and job markets to identify points of excellence and improvement, especially for digital, green and AI skills. It looks at four key indicators:
- Skills Fit: How well education systems align with industry and employer needs.
- Academic Readiness: How well a country can deliver the necessary skills for future markets.
- Future of Work: How ready a country’s job market is to recruit for the most in-demand skills of the future.
- Economic Transformation: How ready a country’s economy is to leverage the next wave of skills-led industrial growth.
Mapping the future: US, UK and Australia taking the lead
The index analysed 81 countries and territories and evaluated data from over 280 million job postings. The US, UK, Germany, Australia and Canada top the list. Meanwhile, emerging territories like South Korea and India emerge in certain indicators. Let’s take a look at key trends in the index.
US: Most ‘future-ready’ country
With a final score of 97.6, the US claims the highest spot on the index. It sets an example of how it balances the need for new skills with the pressures of job displacement in declining sectors.
Along with the UK, it is currently the most aligned to employer needs, allowing it to easily close skills gaps later on. It’s also the most prepared for jobs of the future, thanks to its commitment to being adaptable to technological and industrial changes. Higher education systems in the country are also greatly focused on innovation, research and development, and sustainable practices.
UK: ‘Global leader’ in graduate employability
Targeted higher education reforms, future-focused training and strong industry collaborations helped the UK attain a perfect score in the Academic Readiness indicator. It’s considered a ‘global leader’ in graduate employability, making it well-positioned to help students secure the knowledge and skills they need to succeed in future key industries.
Australia: Future skills pioneer
Australia takes fourth place on the list, just ahead of Canada. The index highlights how the country’s higher education system and job market are fit to cultivate and attract talent in critical industries.
Australia also achieved a perfect mark in Workforce Readiness, a sub-indicator under Economic Transformation. This recognises the region’s low unemployment rate, high labour potential and talent availability, and exceptional gross graduation ratio or higher education output.
Budding pioneers
Beyond the ‘Big Four’ study abroad countries, emerging destinations also shone in the index. According to the report, South Korea’s economy is the most ready for the next wave of industries and innovations, with perfect scores in three sub-indicators: Economic Capacity, Workforce Readiness and Future-Oriented Innovation and Sustainability.
Meanwhile, India was deemed a ‘Future Skills Contender.’ Alongside Mexico, it’s acknowledged as the nation ‘most ready to recruit into digital roles’ for its progress in building resilient innovation ecosystems and readiness to integrate AI into the workforce.
Preparing for a changing world
The QS World Future Skills Index recognises that countries are at different levels of future-proofing their education systems. “Countries that have historically led the world in higher education need to adapt to maintain their dominance or risk losing ground to competing countries or territories where innovation is happening at a fast pace,” said QS Vice President of Strategy & Analytics Matteo Quacquarelli.
The analysis offers targeted recommendations for policymakers and education leaders emphasising the need to ‘strengthen essential skills, invest in critical sectors and proactively address potential workforce shortages in emerging industries.’ By addressing these, countries could mitigate challenges and be better prepared for future economic growth.
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