Impact of Reskilling & Up-Skilling on Workforce Readiness to Achieve Operational and Economic Competitiveness: An HR Competence Perspective in Contemporary Global Economy Landscape
Keywords:
Reskilling, Up-skilling, Workforce Readiness, Operational Competitiveness, Economic Competitiveness, Human Capital Development, Energy and Power Sector, Pakistan, Global Competency ShiftsAbstract
The present study investigates the impact of reskilling and up-skilling on workforce readiness and their subsequent influence on operational and economic competitiveness in Pakistan’s energy and power sector amid accelerating global competency shifts driven by technological advancement, automation, and digital transformation. Grounded in the positivist paradigm, the study adopted an explanatory quantitative research design using a structured survey questionnaire to collect data from 400 employees selected through convenience sampling. Reskilling and up-skilling were treated as independent variables, workforce readiness as a mediating variable, and operational and economic competitiveness as dependent variables. Data were analyzed using SPSS through descriptive statistics, reliability analysis, correlation, regression, and mediation analysis. The findings revealed that both reskilling and up-skilling significantly and positively influence workforce readiness. Workforce readiness was also found to significantly enhance operational and economic competitiveness. Furthermore, the mediation analysis confirmed that workforce readiness significantly mediates the relationship between competency development strategies and competitiveness outcomes. The study highlights that organizations investing in continuous employee development are better positioned to improve adaptability, productivity, innovation, and financial sustainability in dynamic industrial environments. The study contributes theoretically by extending Human Capital Theory within the context of workforce transformation and organizational competitiveness in developing economies. Practically, the findings provide strategic implications for policymakers, organizational leaders, and HR practitioners in designing future-oriented workforce development frameworks capable of sustaining competitiveness in the evolving global economy.
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