Could a robot do your job? Millions of people who didn’t see automation coming will soon find out the painful way. The answer is a resounding yes.
The World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs study predicts that 5 million jobs will be lost before 2020 as artificial intelligence, robotics, nanotechnology and other socio-economic factors replace the need for human workers.
The good news is that those same technological advances will also create 2.1 million new jobs. But the manual and clerical workers who find themselves out of work are unlikely to have the required skills to compete for the new roles. Most new jobs will be in more specialized areas such as computing, mathematics, architecture and engineering.
Governments and employers in every sector are being urged to retrain and re-skill workers to avoid a crisis.
“Without urgent and targeted action today, to manage the near-term transition and build a workforce with future-proof skills, governments will have to cope with ever-growing unemployment and inequality, and businesses with a shrinking consumer base,” said Klaus Schwab, Founder and Executive Chairman of the World Economic Forum.
New skills for new economies
So what skills should workers be acquiring to make sure they have value as theFourth Industrial Revolution gathers pace? Some may be surprised to learn that skills we develop in pre-school will be valued highly.
David Deming, associate professor of education and economics at Harvard University, argues that soft skills like sharing and negotiating will be crucial. He says the modern workplace, where people move between different roles and projects, closely resembles pre-school classrooms, where we learn social skills such as empathy and cooperation.
Deming has mapped the changing needs of employers and identified key skills that will be required to thrive in the job market of the near future. Along with those soft skills, mathematical ability will be enormously beneficial.
Single-skillset jobs in decline
Deming shows that in recent years, many jobs requiring only mathematical skills have been automated. Bank tellers and statistical clerks have suffered. Roles which require predominantly social skills (childcare workers, for example) tend to be poorly paid as the supply of potential workers is very large.
The study shows that workers who successfully combine mathematical and interpersonal skills in the knowledge-based economies of the future should find many rewarding and lucrative opportunities.
Refocusing skills education
The challenge now, says Deming, is for educators to complement their teaching of technical skills like mathematics and computer science, with a focus on making sure the workers of the future have the soft skills to compete in the new jobs market.
The 21 best jobs of the future:
Projected new positions by 2024: 78,300
Median annual earnings in 2014: $54,120
What they do: Teach young children basic skills in schools
Typical educational requirements: Bachelor's degree
Projected new positions by 2024: 44,700
Median annual earnings in 2014: $95,350
What they do: Treat and diagnose patients' illnesses
Typical educational requirements: Master's degree
Projected new positions by 2024: 37,700
Median annual earnings in 2014: $115,320
What they do: Direct financial activities at organizations
Typical educational requirements: Bachelor's degree
Projected new positions by 2024: 85,900
Median annual earnings in 2014: $51,110
What they do: Install, maintain, and repair electrical equipment
Typical educational requirements: High-school diploma
Projected new positions by 2024: 117,300
Median annual earnings in 2014: $42,490
What they do: Care for patients in hospitals, clinics, nursing homes, and similar institutions
Typical educational requirements: Postsecondary non-degree award
Projected new positions by 2024: 43,800
Median annual earnings in 2014: $114,970
What they do: Represent clients in legal situations
Typical educational requirements: Professional degree
Projected new positions by 2024: 93,400
Median annual earnings in 2014: $55,020
What they do: Sell goods for wholesalers or manufacturers
Typical educational requirements: High school diploma
Projected new positions by 2024: 56,300
Median annual earnings in 2014: $92,810
What they do: Plan, direct, or coordinate health services
Typical educational requirements: Bachelor's degree
Projected new positions by 2024: 51,300
Median annual earnings in 2014: $102,880
What they do: Develop operating systems, compilers, and network software
Typical educational requirements: Bachelor's degree
Projected new positions by 2024: 92,300
Median annual earnings in 2014: $61,290
What they do: Research market conditions and create marketing campaigns
Typical educational requirements: Bachelor's degree
Projected new positions by 2024: 71,800
Median annual earnings in 2014: $82,390
What they do: Help patients recover from illnesses and injuries
Typical educational requirements: Doctoral or professional degree
Projected new positions by 2024: 73,900
Median annual earnings in 2014: $81,060
What they do: Advise clients on their finances
Typical educational requirements: Bachelor's degree
Projected new positions by 2024: 121,200
Median annual earnings in 2014: $50,780
What they do: Supervise and coordinate the activities of clerical and administrative-support workers
Typical educational requirements: High-school diploma
Projected new positions by 2024: 53,700
Median annual earnings in 2014: $127,640
What they do: Plan, direct, and coordinate computer systems
Typical educational requirements: Bachelor's degree
Projected new positions by 2024: 103,400
Median annual earnings in 2014: $80,880
What they do: Conduct research and develop procedures to allow organizations to run more efficiently
Typical educational requirements: Bachelor's degree
Projected new positions by 2024: 142,400
Median annual earnings in 2014: $65,940
What they do: Examine, analyze, and interpret accounting records
Typical educational requirements: Bachelor's degree
Projected new positions by 2024: 51,700
Median annual earnings in 2014: At least $187,200*
What they do: Treat patients in a variety of specialized fields
Typical educational requirements: Doctoral or professional degree
* BLS median annual earnings estimates for 2014 are capped at $187,200, and earnings for this occupational group fell at or above that cap
Projected new positions by 2024: 118,600
Median annual earnings in 2014: $82,710
What they do: Analyze data processing problems to develop and improve computer systems
Typical educational requirements: Bachelor's degree
Projected new positions by 2024: 135,300
Median annual earnings in 2014: $95,510
What they do: Develop front-end user-oriented computer applications and programs
Typical educational requirements: Bachelor's degree
Projected new positions by 2024: 151,100
Median annual earnings in 2014: $97,270
What they do: Plan, direct, or coordinate the operations of organizations
Typical educational requirements: Bachelor's degree
Projected new positions by 2024: 439,300
Median annual earnings in 2014: $66,640
What they do: Assess patient health needs and care for patients
Typical educational requirements: Bachelor's degree