Automation on Jobs and 21st-century Skills

As the world continues to evolve around us, automation on jobs becomes a crucial matter. Although this is not a new concern, it is evident that as technology evolves, workers’ attention tends to go back to this matter. 

Automation on jobs is actually a concept that has been around for a while. In order to really understand what is behind it, we must go back to the Industrial Revolution and track how automation on jobs has become what we know today.

Keep reading as we explore how workers and industries of all kinds experience automation on jobs in times where technology is reaching unthinkable milestones.

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The beginning of automation on jobs

As briefly mentioned above, in order to truly understand how automation on jobs generally works, we need to go back to the Industrial Revolution. 

During that time, concerns about job displacement due to automation, started to emerge. With time, concerns regarding automation on jobs started to be echoed by historical figures like the Luddites in 19th century Britain, managing to install among workers.

The Luddites were a group of textile workers famous for protesting against the encroachment of automation on jobs during the Industrial Revolution.

Named after the mythical figure Ned Ludd, they vehemently opposed the introduction of machinery, particularly automated looms, fearing that it would lead to widespread job losses, diminished wages, and worsening working conditions.

Back then, workers of this group broke machines that were perceived as a threat to their income as they introduced automation on jobs.

The Luddites’ resistance to automation on jobs reflected the broader anxieties and challenges confronted by workers in the face of significant technological shifts—which is a feeling many can relate to nowadays.

Of course, despite their efforts, industrialization became the norm and led to automation on jobs of a certain degree.

As technology continues to amaze us, the debate on automation on jobs continues to build up. Despite the many differences of today’s labor market and the context back then, workers still face the effects of technology on employment and economic stability.

Wages & automation on jobs

One can say the dynamics of automation, employment, and wages unfold in a dualistic manner. On one side, automation frequently gives rise to as many jobs as it eliminates over time. Workers proficient in machine collaboration exhibit higher productivity, leading to reduced costs and prices of goods and services.

This, in turn, fosters a sense of affluence among consumers, prompting increased spending and the subsequent creation of new jobs.

Conversely, a segment of the workforce faces challenges, particularly those directly displaced by machines and those compelled to contend with them in the job market, which of course has the tendency to increase as technology continues to develop.

The advent of digital automation since the 1980s has contributed to labor market inequality, witnessed through the disappearance of jobs or the erosion of wages for many in production and clerical roles.

While new employment opportunities have emerged, some cater to highly educated analytical workers with substantial remuneration, while others offer considerably lower wages, notably in the personal services sector.

In a broader context, workers who complement new automation technologies and undertake tasks beyond the scope of machines often experience an uptick in compensation. However, those engaged in similar tasks that machines can readily replace find themselves in a less favorable position.

Overall, automation on jobs tends to shift compensation from workers to business owners, who reap higher profits with diminished reliance on labor. The intricate interplay between technological advancements and the labor market underscores the importance of carefully navigating the consequences of automation on jobs and wages.

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Overcoming automation on jobs

Crucially, individuals who pursue additional education and training, whether within their current employment or through external avenues, can acquire new skills, rendering them more compatible with automated technologies.

An illustrative example is the displacement of unskilled assembly line workers by robots, concurrently creating new opportunities for machinists, advanced welders, and technicians responsible for maintaining or utilizing the machines for novel tasks.

Generally, workers with some postsecondary credentials often find themselves in a more advantageous position, while those without such qualifications often bear the brunt of losses.

New automation on jobs

The landscape of “new automation” in the forthcoming decades, characterized by advanced robotics and artificial intelligence (AI), is poised to expand the scope of tasks and jobs automated technologies can undertake.

This evolution holds the potential to trigger more significant worker displacement and inequality compared to previous generations of automation. Notably, college graduates and professionals may be more profoundly impacted this time.

The looming prospect is the elimination of millions of jobs across various sectors, including vehicle drivers, retail workers, healthcare professionals, lawyers, accountants, finance specialists, and numerous other professions.

What the future holds

The labor market landscape suggests a critical question arises: Is this era genuinely distinctive? Will workers’ capacity to adapt to automation on jobs through acquiring new education and skills be overwhelmed by the pervasive and extensive task capabilities of AI-driven machines?

The challenges posed by AI-driven automation are poised to increase for many workers, concurrently contributing to elevated living standards due to heightened worker productivity. Simultaneously, the need to create policies that ensure broad adaptation among workers becomes imperative.

In the realm of policy implications, transformative measures are needed in education and training, the creation of “good jobs” by employers, and wage supplements for workers.

One can argue the biggest challenge is facing modern automation on jobs with quality of education and training. Workers need to cultivate what researchers refer to as “21st-century skills”, encompassing communication, complex analytical abilities requiring nuanced judgments of multiple factors, and creativity.

As automation on jobs reshapes labor landscapes, displaced workers and those encountering diminished compensation must undergo retraining to navigate new tasks within evolving roles.

Reskilling or upskilling becomes imperative for more workers, whether facilitated on the job or through higher education institutions, both public and private. The emphasis should be on delivering high-quality training in high-demand sectors such as health care, advanced manufacturing, and retail logistics, thereby enhancing the earnings of less-educated or displaced workers.

Addressing the needs of disadvantaged workers necessitates additional support to complete their education, including occupational guidance and childcare provisions. The improvement of online learning platforms is vital to enhance accessibility for skill-building, particularly for those juggling full-time employment and training obligations.

The concept of “lifelong learning” accounts, possibly subsidized by policymakers, may become essential to finance ongoing training initiatives. Policymakers should explore incentivizing employers who retrain workers while implementing measures against those who permanently lay off workers in response to automation.

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