Companies don’t have until 2030 to think about the skills their employees will need. New systems, automation, security risks, and customer needs are already changing.
The World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report 2025 estimates that 39% of workers’ current skills will change or become outdated by 2030. It also says 59 out of every 100 workers will need training. Of those 59, 29 may train for their current roles. Another 19 may retrain for new roles. And 11 may never get the training they need.
So, what do you do when you know you’re going to need new skills soon, but you have active projects that need coverage while your employees learn new skills?
Most employers will need a mix of training, permanent hiring, and contract talent.
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Many Skills Will Change Before 2030
AI and data related skills have been getting most of the attention, but the shift in skillsets goes further. Employers are preparing for more automation, connected equipment, cyber risk, new materials, and new energy systems. They’ll also need people who can manage projects, solve problems, adapt, and work across teams. It’s not just skills that are evolving, it’s entire systems.
The World Economic Forum found that 63% of employers see skills gaps as a major barrier to change. In response, 85% plan to focus on training. Another 70% expect to hire people with new skills. About half plan to move employees from shrinking roles into growing ones.
Key Industries Already Feeling the Impact
In advanced manufacturing, WEF industry data shows heavy expected use of AI, robots, and new materials. Employers in the sector expect to train 29% of workers for their current roles. They may retrain another 15% for different work.
Infrastructure employers expect to train 27% of workers for their current jobs. They may retrain another 17% for new roles. The mix varies by field, but the need for upskilling reaches far beyond office work.
Other sectors face the same pressure. Life sciences companies need quality, validation, and data skills. Finance teams need ERP, analytics, and AI controls. Data centers need engineers, builders, network staff, and cyber talent. Manufacturers need controls, automation, and maintenance skills.
Many of these skills will need to stay in-house. The question is how to cover the work while the team builds the skills they need.
Training Takes Time
Approving a course is easy. Making time for it is harder. Employees still have production goals, customer deadlines, repairs, projects, and daily work. Training has to fit around all of it.
A McKinsey survey on reskilling found that 53% of companies with current or planned programs struggled to balance training with daily operations. Fewer than half felt they understood the skills they already had. Only 41% clearly understood which roles could be disrupted.
Training also can’t replace experience overnight. A course may teach the basics but won’t make someone confident and competent enough to lead a rollout, fix complex equipment, secure a network, or rescue a late project right away.
Companies also have to choose who should learn each skill. Some employees have the right base and enough time to build on it. Other needs may require someone who has done the work before.
Upskilling and training makes sense for companies trying to build a long-term skilled team, but when it comes to staffing the skills you need in the short-term, you may have to look for other alternatives.
How Contractors Can Fill the Gap
Contract staffing gives a company access to skills before those skills exist on the team. An experienced contractor can start the work and help employees use what they’re learning on a real project.
- Start urgent work while employees are still training.
- Cover daily tasks so employees have time to learn.
- Show the team how the work is done in practice.
- Bring lessons from similar projects and system rollouts.
- Help define what a future full-time role should own.
- Document the work before handing it to the internal team.
In McKinsey’s survey, 57% of North American respondents had used freelance or contract workers to address changing skill needs. The survey was conducted in 2019, so it’s a useful benchmark rather than a current adoption rate. A later MIT Sloan and Deloitte study found that 74% of leaders saw outside contributors as critical to success, even though only 30% of these leaders felt ready to manage them well.
If you’re looking for temporary help but don’t feel ready to manage outside talent, a temporary staffing agency like PeopleSolutions may be the perfect fit for you. We take the time to understand your business and the challenges you face in order to find a suitable candidate who we help manage throughout the contract. We take away the administrative stress so you can have the skills you need without the added pressures of managing the worker. To learn more about our services, reach out to our team!
Pick the Right Contract Model
The right model depends on the goal, the timeline, and who will manage the work.
| Model | When It Fits |
| Contract staffing | You need a specific skill for a set period. |
| Staff augmentation | Your team needs added skill or capacity under its current leaders. |
| Project-based staffing | You need several people for a project your company will direct. |
| Contract-to-hire | The need may be permanent, but the role is still taking shape. |
| Statement of Work | You want a provider to own a clear result or deliverable. |
| Interim staffing | You need an experienced leader during a vacancy or major change. |
| Employer of record | You found the right person where your company can’t employ them directly. |
Related PeopleSolutions guide: Contract Staffing Model Comparison
What Contract Talent Can Do
Start Important Work Sooner
A contractor may have handled the same system, machine, or type of project before. That experience can save time and help the team avoid common mistakes.
Give Employees Time to Learn
A contractor can take on selected tasks while employees train. This keeps development from getting pushed aside each time the workload rises.
Help Define a New Role
New roles can be hard to define on paper. A contract period shows what the work really requires before the company sets out the duties, pay, and team size.
Match Skills to Each Project Phase
A project may need planners first, technical staff during the build, and trainers near launch. Contract staffing lets the skill mix change as the work moves forward.
Use Niche Skills When They’re Needed
Some skills are vital during a rollout but aren’t needed every day after launch. Contract talent gives the company access without adding a role that may sit underused later.
Test a Role Before Hiring
When a role looks permanent but is still taking shape, contract-to-hire gives both sides time to test the work before making a full-time commitment.
How to Choose Between Training, Hiring, and Contractors
Start with five questions:
- How soon is the skill needed?
- How long will the work last?
- Should this skill stay in-house?
- Do employees have time and related experience to learn it?
- Is the future role clear?
| Situation | Good Starting Point |
| The skill is needed now for a set project. | Use contract or project-based staffing. |
| The skill is urgent and will remain important. | Use a contractor while you train or hire. |
| The long-term role is clear. | Hire a permanent employee. |
| Employees have related skills and time to learn. | Focus on upskilling. |
| The role may be permanent but is still changing. | Consider contract-to-hire. |
Many companies will use more than one option. A manufacturer might bring in a contract automation engineer while maintenance staff train beside that person. At the same time, it may recruit a full-time controls leader. A finance team might use project staff during an ERP change while employees learn the new system.
There’s not a single right answer. It’s up to you to decide the best approach for your team and the work you need done. If you’re struggling to figure out the best plan, reach out to our team for a consultation!
Plan for a Clean Handoff
Contractors help with upskilling only when knowledge transfer is part of the plan. Without a clear handoff, the project may end, and the team still can’t do the work on their own.
To prepare for the handoff:
- Pair employees with the contractor from the start.
- Document systems, decisions, steps, and common problems.
- Schedule training and hands-on practice.
- Name the employee who’ll own the work next.
- Set handoff dates before the final week.
- Test whether the team can work on its own.
The internal owner should join the work early. That gives the contractor time to explain key choices, watch the employee practice, and correct problems before the handoff.
The engagement also needs clear rules for data, security, safety, ownership, and worker management. It works better when the contractor has a clear goal and an internal point of contact.
Build the Skills You’ll Need for 2030
By 2030, companies won’t be dealing with one skills gap. They’ll face a steady flow of new tools, new roles, and new project needs. No single staffing choice will cover all of them.
Training builds skills the company wants to keep. Permanent hiring adds long-term talent when the role is clear. Contract staffing brings in experience now and gives the team time to catch up.
When it’s planned well, a contract engagement can keep important work moving and leave the internal team better prepared after the contractor leaves.
PeopleSolutions can help you choose the right contract staffing model, find skilled professionals, and build the engagement around your work and timeline. Reach out today!
FAQs
Can contract staffing replace employee upskilling?
Contract staffing can provide immediate expertise and keep work moving while employees train, but companies should still build important long-term capabilities internally. For many employers, that means pairing contractors with employee development and knowledge transfer.
When should a company use contract-to-hire instead of direct hire?
Contract-to-hire can fit when the work needs to begin quickly and the position may become permanent, but the responsibilities, workload, or long-term fit still need to be tested in practice. If the permanent need and role are already clear, direct hire may make more sense.
How can contractors help current employees develop new skills?
Contractors can work alongside employees, demonstrate how the work is performed, document processes, lead practical training, and support a planned handoff. Those expectations should be defined before the engagement begins.
