The labour markets of the BRICS economies are undergoing rapid and complex transformation. Against this backdrop, the 2025 BRICS Auditorium of Skills Development, Applied Technology and Innovation convened policymakers, industry leaders, academics and workforce specialists to confront a set of shared pressures: technological disruption, demographic shifts, uneven economic growth and rising demands for inclusive, future-ready skills systems.
The Auditorium, now one of BRICS’ most influential policy platforms, offers a rare cross-country lens on how governments are modernising training ecosystems, strengthening workforce mobility and closing persistent gaps between education and employment. Delegates presented detailed evidence on skill shortages, digital transitions, the rise of green industries, and the structural mismatches that leave millions unemployed despite growing demand in key sectors.
Across the alliance, countries are rolling out large-scale solutions—from India’s digital public infrastructure and China’s high-tech training bases to Brazil’s employment activation programmes and South Africa’s industry-linked reskilling initiatives. Russia, meanwhile, is advancing technology-driven regional hubs to address localised labour shortages.
This special report draws on the insights shared at the Auditorium to examine where BRICS nations are making progress, where challenges remain, and how coordinated action could shape the future of work across emerging labour markets.
Huawei, Microsoft, and IBM drive digital skills revolution in South Africa
South Africa is a country of contrasts. Official unemployment is at 32.9%. Youth unemployment is more than 60%. Yet employers in mining, green energy, and digital finance cannot find the people they need.
This is known as the “South African Skills Paradox”, according to Mapule Ncanywa, a board member of South Africa’s FoodBev Sector Education and Training Authority, who spoke at the recent BRICS Skills Auditorium.
Indonesia powers villages with renewable energy and skills
In the remote corners of Indonesia, where electricity remains a luxury, a transformative initiative is lighting the way.
The Green Jobs – Renewable Energy Provision programme is empowering young people to bring sustainable energy solutions to the nation’s most underserved regions.
Iran tries to bring age-old traditional skills into the mainstream
Iran is taking steps to bridge the gap between age-old skills learned in family workshops and the demands of a modern, competitive labour market.
Abdolhossein Nazerian, International Academic Affairs Director at the Technical and Vocational University of Iran, outlined the reforms under way to integrate traditional forms of learning into the country’s broader skills ecosystem.
Brazil’s mission to reskill 14 million workers
Brazil is confronting a monumental challenge: the need to reskill and upskill over 14 million workers by 2027 to meet the demands of a rapidly evolving labour market.
This is according to Felipe Morgado, Superintendent for Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) and Higher Education at SENAI, Brazil’s National Industrial Training Service, who spoke at the BRICS Skills Auditorium.
Bonus report: Could an app help solve BRICS’s skills shortage?
At this year’s BRICS Business Forum in Rio de Janeiro, a landmark white paper addressing the skills and technology shortages plaguing BRICS economies was presented to high-level delegates, including members of the South African BRICS Business Council. Titled “Tackling Skills and Tech Shortages in BRICS,” the paper sets out an ambitious, collaborative blueprint to address labour market imbalances across the alliance, offering both diagnostics and actionable solutions.
