Special series by Terere Cómplice “The future of work and the jobs of the future”
By Claudia Pompa.
“We are currently preparing students for jobs that don’t yet exist, using technologies that haven’t been invented, in order to solve problems we don’t even know are problems yet.” This quote from Richard Riley, Secretary of Education during the Bill Clinton administration, helps illustrate the complexity of the future of work. Studies carried out indicate that 65% of children in primary school today will probably work in labor sectors that currently do not exist. In this context, it is essential to start the discussion about the jobs of the future and the skills we need to prepare for them.
The last few decades have seen a profound transformation of the workforce, and this trend will most likely continue in the future. As we have seen in previous articles in this series, the processes of technological innovation, automation, and digitization, as well as the increasing use of artificial intelligence, will impact not only job functions and the different types of openings but also the skills required to access these new positions. While the World Economic Forum estimates that by 2025 technological advances will create 97 million new jobs, the big question is not only which sectors or industries will produce the most new jobs, but also which sectors or industries will see the biggest job declines?
Labor market projections show that great number of new jobs will be in the technology sector. Some of the positions with the highest global demand are data analysts, specialists in artificial intelligence and machine learning, experts in robotics, software developers, and specialists in digital transformation. In recent years we have also seen a growing number of new roles in different industries, such as e-commerce experts, renewable energy engineers, and specialists in fintech who apply technology in the financial services sector.
In addition, demographic changes in certain regions and the continuing aging of the population should lead to a considerable increase in demand for qualified workers in sectors such as education (teachers, teachers, child care workers and professionals working in education) and health (doctors, nurses, physician assistants, pharmacists, therapists, health aides, health technicians, community and social workers).
In turn, existing jobs such as data processing personnel, accounting and auditing professionals, administrative and executive secretaries, factory personnel, and business and administrative services personnel that are at risk of being automated or displaced due to technological innovation will likely suffer significant cutbacks at a global level in the coming years. While in many economies these jobs are still booming, it is important to start considering what new skills and abilities people in these sectors will need in order to maintain their employability and transition to different sectors that can still generate new jobs.
Over the course of the next decade, we should expect to see the creation of new jobs in completely new occupations, but also new jobs in existing occupations which have undergone important transformations in terms of content and required skills. Although it is highly probable that these new jobs will require workers to adapt to – and use – new technologies, they will also have an important emphasis on interpersonal interaction.
The processes of technological innovation, automation, and digitization as well as the increasing use of artificial intelligence impact not only job functions and the different types of openings but also the skills required to access these new positions.
It is important to note that this process of transitioning into new jobs will take some time, while also affecting employment levels in the short to medium term. In this scenario, it is essential to rethink, in an alliance with the private sector and civil society, the public policies that allow our country to maximize its existing human resource potential, not only to prepare the workforce for this new reality, but also to generate new jobs that drive innovation, economic growth, and prosperity for society in general.
The future of work is not necessarily dictated by extrinsic forces beyond our control; rather, the future of work is determined by what we, as a society, seek and aspire to for ourselves. Ultimately, building this future is everyone’s responsibility.
Cover Image: Lissette Salguero