The release of the OECD Skills Outlook 2025 offers a timely and important reminder: the challenge we face is not a lack of talent, but a lack of equitable access to opportunity.

For context, the OECD, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, is an international body that works with governments around the world to shape evidence-based policy on economic growth, workforce development, and social well-being. Their Skills Outlook is widely used to guide national and regional workforce strategies.

This year’s report reinforces what many of you see every day. Across OECD countries, who develops skills, and who benefits from them, is still largely shaped by factors beyond a person’s control. Socio-economic background, geography, gender, and access to education all continue to influence outcomes. These disparities begin early, widen over time, and ultimately limit both individual potential and economic growth.

What stands out is the shift toward system-level solutions.

The OECD is calling for lifelong learning systems that are accessible, flexible, and connected to real labour market opportunities. It highlights the need to reduce barriers to training, strengthen career guidance, and improve how skills are recognized and matched to jobs. These are not small adjustments. They point to a more integrated, responsive approach to workforce development.

This is exactly where ASPECT has been focused.

Through our advocacy and projects, we have consistently emphasized the importance of community-based service delivery, coordinated training systems, and reducing barriers to access. We have been making the case that our sector is not a peripheral part of the system, but essential infrastructure. The kind of local knowledge, employer connections, and practical supports that ASPECT members provide are critical to making these broader system shifts work in practice.

There is a clear opportunity in this moment.

As governments continue to respond to workforce shortages and economic uncertainty, there is growing recognition that solutions must be grounded in real-world experience. Ensuring that our sector is fully utilized, not just now but into the future, will be key to building a workforce system that is both effective and inclusive.

This is the direction the OECD is pointing to. It is also the work you are already leading.

Janet Morris-Reade, CEO