Wireless connectivity has come a long way since it was first introduced. The newest addition in this generation of wireless networks is the 5G revolution, which is coming fast and changing the world for the better.

The global 5G services market is predicted to be worth USD 249.2 Bn in 2026, at a CAGR of 29.4%, while the global 5G infrastructure market is projected to be worth USD 47.7 Bn at a CAGR of 67.1% around the same time.

Given the steady growth of 5G services globally, demand for 5G talent across all domains is postulated to rise significantly in the coming years. And as business and technology go hand-in-hand, the fifth generation of the wireless network also can create extraordinary levels of change within the workplace.

While the latest network comes with the power of streamlining communications and smoothening of customer experience, a 5G-ready workforce to handle the technology becomes a must.

The Conundrum of 5G Talent Demand

The 5G-specific job roles are critical for the telecom industry due to the ongoing trials in developing markets. But with a sizable skills gap and a fast-moving 5G talent ecosystem, talent management teams are grappling to meet the demand surge for their organizations.

On the other hand, the 3G to 4G transition phase required minimal skill-building due to similar frameworks and technology stacks. But the latest transition from 4G to 5G has an urgent need to update the existing workforce with niche skills complimenting the new tech stack and framework.

Since telecom firms are in the nascent stages of the deployment process, there is a visible talent shortage, leaving HR leaders and talent management teams worried about the competition from peers.

While the world waits for a full-fledged rollout of this new wireless revolution, for talent acquisition teams recruiting candidates suiting the skillsets and goals is still a challenging task.

In this wake of a new, sophisticated technology like 5G, with limited talent demand, reskilling helps enterprises in saving acquisition costs and preparing a future-ready workforce.

Reskilling the Workforce for a 5G Future

The 5G business market is growing at a rocketing value. A change happening so rapidly that organizations and their talent management teams are barely catching up with the skills needed to excel.

As network operators accelerate their investments for a hassle-free transition to 5G, it also brings an immediate shift of skillsets required to design, deploy, and maintain them. More software skills are critical to understanding how the network is monitored and managed.

While previous generations of wireless connectivity pertained primarily to network operators, 5G comes with a change in every sector, from manufacturing to energy and transport. The capabilities of 5G make it a stimulant for efficiency in the current business set up and even serves as a platform for further innovation.

The transition from a traditional IT role to a 5G-related one is to undergo multiple training stages before organizations adapt to the revolutionary wireless generation.

An AI-backed talent intelligence platform can help talent management teams with a hassle-free tranformaiton. Here is a how they help navigating to an emerging role of 5G Software Developer from an LTE Engineer’s role with a detailed reskilling pathway:

• The must-have skills required to navigate into the above-mentioned 5G role.
• The skills gap required to bridge between the aforementioned roles.
• A 4-5 months’ timeframe is also laid down with self-learning modules to facilitate reskilling and bridge the skills gap.

This whitepaper is an extensive yet straightforward breakdown of how the reskilling process looks like from an IT role to an in-demand role in the 5G sector.

Enterprises across the telecom industry are gearing up to fuel transformation for a 5G tomorrow, as it is all set to drive change and productivity growth across businesses. While the new era of connectivity has overhauled communication and ignited the need for skill-building, several companies are inching towards the 5G ecosystem by reskilling their existing talent pool.

Ericsson’s Digital Academy is one such example aimed at empowering the existing workforce with 5G-ready skills. The telecom company’s ‘5G Academy’ platform is exclusive for employees to upskill and build skills on subjects like 5G RAN, 5G Core, and Cloud RAN.

The full-scale deployment of 5G wireless technology over the next several years promises to grow significantly. As the newest and fastest mode of communication creates a serious talent shortage with the necessary skillsets, reskilling becomes the need of the hour in developing and deploying 5G.

AI-powered talent intelligence platforms like Draup help talent management teams identify a seamless pathway into new roles with data-backed insights to address the skill gap challenges.

Draup supports a smooth transition to an in-demand role by mapping the skillsets with the existing list of courses in its database using 100+ Machine Learning models and empowering enterprises to build reskilling initiatives for a 5G-ready workforce.