Every generation since has seen many industries supplanted by automation, and as technology continues to improve, so does the enterprise skill set of machines.

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By turn, applicants take the WorkKeys assessment to measure their skill level and identify ways to improve, through online training, the skills that employers seek.

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The survey also asked about the skill areas that workers most need to improve.

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Yet Carroll is unlikely to improve simply by coming off the bench for a team that isn't built to showcase his skill set.

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We've seen forecast skill steadily improve over time, and much of that can be put down to the information now coming from orbiting sensors.

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Dean of INSEAD's Asia campus, Hellmut Schutte, says demand is also being driven by the fact that many business leaders do not have an MBA degree and are keen to improve their skill levels.

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