The Future of Work Is Not a Question, It's the Future of Manpower That's an Issue

Around the world, politicians are stirring up fears of in the hearts of their constituents.

21:33 03 September 2018

The common theme is one of a decreasing labor force driven by high-tech products such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, IoT, and super-productive robots. But the fact of the matter is, while some job positions are being replaced with technology, other positions are becoming available faster than they can be filled.

While capitalism is touted as being the best system on earth, workers in recent decades have felt the pain as their bargaining power has greatly diminished. The fabric of democracy is being undermined by rapidly growing inequality across many fronts. But is it really technology and workplace biases alone that are driving the drop in job placement? Or is there another deeper, more complex problem?

A new buzz phrase has surfaced among the mainstream media pundits: “The Future of Work.” What is the “Future of Work?” How does it affect you? And what can you do to safeguard your future in an ever-evolving, ever-changing workforce?

The Future of Work Defined

In December 2017, James Manyika, chairman, and director of McKinsey Global Institute (MGI) was interviewed in a podcast aired by MGI. Manyike stated that students, workers, CEOs, and policymakers generally ask three questions:

1. What will the impact be on the job market as artificial intelligence and automation replace humans - will there be any jobs left?
   
   
2. Secondly, is there a way to remodel and restructure duties in a way that limits job loss?
   
   
3. Lastly, with most advanced economies becoming stagnant over the past decades, will this stagnation get worse as technology replaces jobs?
   
   

Therefore, the “Future of Work” topic revolves around automation and its possible impact on the workforce. Manyika went on to say, “we’ve seen spectacular demonstrations and progress with artificial intelligence, autonomous systems, and robotics in a way that has been quite extraordinary.”

This has made discussions over this much more heated as people are beginning to see the reality of these technologies.

Creating a Dominant and Distorted Paradigm

This is the definition as defined by consulting companies such as McKinsey, Catalant, Accenture, and Deloitte. But how much of it is based on facts and how much of it is hyped up so that these types of consultants can profit from people’s growing fears? It isn’t just politicians who can use the subject of job loss as a benefit.

Rarely do you hear them sharing ideas about upgrading people’s minds; little talk is done about educating the workforce to be leaders. Most of the discussion is around how to integrate workers into an automated world rather on educating them.

And with universities such as Victoria University online offering online MBA degrees, there is plenty of opportunities for even the busiest person to upgrade themselves and become a competitor rather than someone shuffled around because their skillset has become outdated.

Everything from art, the practice of leadership, managing innovation, as well as achieving professional goals and elevating a career or business can be obtained via online college courses these days. In many cases, these degrees can be earned in around two years with part-time study.

With More Automation Comes More Security Risks

Something that a lot of people might not consider at first glance is the issue of security in an automated world. While it seems cool and convenient to be wired to the Internet 24-hours a day, it also means billions of people and millions of companies are vulnerable to attack 24-hours a day.

One of the subjects included in a Master of Business Administration degree is cybersecurity. With hacking threats on the rise, cybersecurity is an industry that will always need a human’s touch.

While the mainstream media is going on about the “Future of Work,” it is high time people in the workforce (especially those dealing with tech) take control of their own futures by upgrading their knowledge base. With the Internet, being online is already a huge part of our daily lives; there is no reason why people should not be taking advantage of the ease and simplicity of an online education.