Future of Work: How Technology Can Change Your Career Trajectory
By Jess Wang, Publications Director
A recent review of nearly 200 published pieces of literature examined the prominent trends shaping the future of work [1]. Here’s what the authors found:
1. Technological developments are a double-edged sword.
Since the rapid acceleration of technology is unprecedented, we will be able to operate in a more productive work environment with an emphasis on educational expansion and increased professionalisation. Notwithstanding the opportunities for labour market entrants, new challenges will inevitably arise, especially in terms of equality (or lack thereof) and disruptions to an existing business, training, and educational models.
2. Reskilling and upskilling are considered the powerbank to the automation transition.
The learning of new skills is considered an “adaptation discourse” that is focused on preparing people for lingering external threats that call for human labour redundancy. Regardless of everyone’s different career blueprints and the foundations that have been laid, the pandemic has made around 12% of working adults rethink their career pathways [2]. Education using digital platforms has since transformed learning, providing accessible and customisable flexibility that helps people keep at pace with technological changes.
3. Employees should not be the only ones forced to adapt.
A common theme within the analysed publications is an urge for policymakers to establish more robust systems and/or regulations to empower vulnerable groups and strengthen workers’ employment rights. Reform aided by sound research may lead to phenomena that diverge from longstanding ‘traditions’, such as employees having a shorter workday, durable social safety nets and labour protection backed by adept associations.
When we look around us we can see that technological developments have changed when and how work can be conducted. A mere decade ago, it would have been difficult to envision the large amounts of flexibility and collaborative environments in which we can now immerse ourselves, both from home and in the office.
We are in the midst of the fourth industrial revolution. Where will we be in 10 years’ time?
References:
1) https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/ntwe.12202
Photo by Jezael Melgoza on Unsplash