Four broad trends are shaping the workforce of the future: demography, social changes, economic forces and technology. The first two mean that the workforce is much more diverse than before, both in its capabilities and its expectations. The economic forces will affect the nature of business and the organisation of work and how the workforce interacts with work. Technological changes mean that the nature of work is changing, and the workforce will have to adapt to meet the new ways of work and changing needs of industry. Although some have assumed that this will lead to a loss of jobs, more sophisticated analysis shows that many jobs will, in fact, be enhanced or redesigned as a result of the opportunities that technology brings. This paper focuses on our recent research into the changing nature of work and our recent work mapping the effect of technology on the mining industry. This mapping will provide insights into how technology has shaped the skills needed in the industry into the future and how organisations need to respond, including implications for leadership, training and work design. Our aim is to deliver a compelling case for acting now to prepare the oil and gas workforce, and to highlight the talent strategies the sector and its members should prioritise in response.