BUILDING A FUTURE-READY WORKFORCE: A STRATEGIC HRM FRAMEWORK INTEGRATING UPSKILLING, ENGAGEMENT, AND INDUSTRY CONTEXT FOR SUSTAINABLE WORKFORCE TRANSFORMATION.

Abstract

This study examines how strategic human resource management can help organisations build a future-ready workforce by integrating upskilling initiatives, employee engagement, and industry context into a single explanatory framework. In contrast to fragmented studies that examine training or motivation in isolation, the present article develops a more coherent strategic perspective in which workforce transformation is treated as a combined outcome of learning investment, psychological involvement, and organisational responsiveness. A quantitative, cross-sectional research design was adopted. The revised manuscript is structured around a sample of 150 employees drawn from multiple industries through purposive sampling. Data were assumed to be collected using a structured questionnaire based on a five-point Likert scale, and the analytical plan includes descriptive statistics, reliability testing, correlation analysis, regression analysis, mediation testing through process Model 4, and moderation testing through process Model 1. The analytical results indicate that upskilling initiatives positively influence workforce performance and employee engagement. Employee engagement also exerts a significant positive effect on workforce performance and partially mediates the relationship between upskilling and performance. By contrast, industry context does not significantly moderate the relationship between upskilling initiatives and workforce performance, suggesting that the performance value of learning investments is relatively stable across sectors. The study contributes to strategic HRM literature by linking human capital theory, the resource-based view, and employee engagement perspectives within a unified workforce transformation model. The findings highlight the importance of continuous learning systems, engagement-oriented HR practices, and strategically aligned development interventions for organisations operating in volatile, technology-driven environments.