Source: techUK
The UK Government has launched its long-awaited consultation on a national digital ID scheme, inviting industry and public input on architecture, standards, and governance. techUK’s response sets out priorities for interoperability, privacy, and individual control — principles that sit at the heart of how portable professional identity should work.
digital ID
UK regulation
national identity
portable credentials
Source: Financial Conduct Authority
The FCA’s consultation CP25/21 proposes streamlining the Senior Managers and Certification Regime — reducing compliance burden by 50% while maintaining accountability standards. A key clarification: evidence for skills gap analysis, competency assessment, and L&D plans may be combined in a single document. Final rules expected mid-2026.
SM&CR
FCA
competence evidence
financial services
fit and proper
Source: European Commission
Under eIDAS 2.0 (Regulation EU 2024/1183), every EU Member State must offer a Digital Identity Wallet by December 2026. Citizens will store and selectively share verified credentials — including professional qualifications, educational certificates, and skills attestations — giving individuals control over their career data for the first time at continental scale.
EUDI Wallet
eIDAS 2.0
verifiable credentials
portable identity
Source: European Commission
The EU AI Act classifies employment-related AI as high-risk, requiring transparency, human oversight, and explainability. Systems used in hiring, promotion, or workforce decisions face the strictest obligations under Annex III.
EU AI Act
high-risk AI
responsible AI
AI governance
Source: World Economic Forum
The WEF Future of Jobs Report 2025 highlights that skills-based approaches to hiring and workforce planning are accelerating globally, with employers increasingly prioritising demonstrated capability over credentials and job titles.
skills-first
future of jobs
workforce transformation
skills taxonomy
Source: PwC UK
The EU Pay Transparency Directive requires employers to provide pay range information and report on gender pay gaps. Skills-based pay structures and structured evidence of progression become essential compliance tools.
pay transparency
pay gap reporting
fair progression
workforce reporting
Source: ISO
ISO 30414:2025 provides requirements and recommendations for human capital reporting and disclosure. Skills data, workforce capability mapping, and evidence-based progression metrics are becoming standard investor and regulatory expectations.
ISO 30414
human capital reporting
CSRD workforce data
people analytics
Source: Harvard Business School — Joseph Fuller & Manjari Raman, Managing the Future of Work
An estimated 27 million workers in the US alone are systematically excluded from hiring processes despite being willing and able to work. Automated screening, rigid job requirements, and credential bias filter out millions with non-linear paths — including caregivers, returners, and those with informal but evidenced skills.
hidden workers
non-linear careers
inclusive hiring
skills from unpaid work
Source: European Commission
The European Skills, Competences, Qualifications and Occupations classification is increasingly adopted as the common language for skills across borders, sectors, and systems. Alignment with ESCO enables interoperability and structured workforce intelligence.
ESCO
skills taxonomy
skills ontology
skills intelligence
Source: McKinsey Global Institute
As technology and automation reshape labour markets, organisations need better visibility of workforce skills and capability. Research shows that many roles will change significantly over the next decade, increasing the need for skills-based workforce planning rather than role-based headcount models.
skills-based workforce
AI and automation
workforce planning
labour market
Source: UK Government — DSIT Digital Identity Blog
The UK Digital Identity and Attributes Trust Framework establishes clear rules for sharing verified attributes digitally across services and organisations. As the ecosystem develops, verified career data and evidenced skills become portable across platforms and employers — with consent as the operating principle.
UK Digital Identity
trust framework
portable credentials
digital identity
Source: McKinsey & Company
Companies need clear skills classifications and inventories to evaluate what capabilities they have and which they need. The research highlights that organisations increasingly require a structured, taxonomy-aligned skills record — not just job titles — to navigate the gen AI transition effectively.
gen AI skills
skills inventory
talent strategy
skills taxonomy
