According to a recent World Economic Forum report on ‘Future of Jobs Report 2018’, 75 million jobs will be displaced due to artificial intelligence (AI), robotics and automation. However, it also says that 133 million new jobs may be created as organisations shift the balance between human workers and machines: a net gain of 58 million. The Fourth Industrial Revolution will create new jobs but at the same time, it will displace many workers. Jobs won’t disappear however they will evolve. To keep astride with this new job structure we need to skill our workforce in robotics, AI and other Future Technology Skills that will be essential in the times to come.
A Shift
In The Job Market
Robots have already replaced hourly human workers
and we should be ready when they come after our jobs. McKinsey research
suggests that 45% of current jobs can be automated. This needs to be addressed
and the only solution to this fatal shift in the job market is education and
skills required for the evolving jobs. How can we help future generation in
skilling for the mega job shift that has come in the market? The answer to that
lies in skilling the next generation for future job roles. Which includes,
robotics, AI, AR, Embedded Systems, Coding, CAD, 3D Printing etc.
Man Plus
Machine
Many companies like Microsoft and IBM have stressed
that their focus is on ‘Man plus machine’, not ‘man vs machine’. They believe
in augmentation of human skills, rather than replacement. Yet many others will
look at cutting the company cost instead of upskilling their workers.
New
Skills For The New World
New World will require new skills and the next
generation needs to be skilled before they step into the job market. Their
training should start from 3 years when they enter playschool, this would mean
that when they reach adulthood they are already proficient in the skills
required for the new evolved jobs.
Schools
Of Tomorrow
Future Schools will play a major role in skilling
the youth, not only will they be more digitized but will also teach Robotics,
Machine Learning, Coding as major subjects in the school curriculum. This has
already been introduced in India. Next step is to look at other institutes that
teach such courses and can help children in teaching them robotics, AI through
DIY exercises, practical experiences through their real-time solution-based
programmes.
