Technological development causes changes in companies and generates doubts and uncertainty among workers. Up to a quarter of jobs will change in the next five years, says the World Economic Forum's Future of Jobs 2023 Report. “We are facing a new industrial revolution; The industry is undergoing an unprecedented process of digital transformation, driven by the rapid arrival of new photonic technologies such as advanced sensors, laser systems or optical communications; also the rapid evolution of robotics and drones, 3D printing, artificial intelligence or the blockchain”, points out Antonio Sánchez, president of Secpho – a cluster made up of more than 150 expert organizations in deep tech – and CEO of AsorCAD Engineering, a company specialized in 3D scanning and engineering services.
It is clear that these technologies are transforming – and will transform – the way in which companies design, produce and distribute their products, but also the profile of workers they need. For Mercedes Gaitán, researcher, professor at Carlemany University and industry 4.0 expert, “new social values and demographic changes are significantly affecting work processes and the work environment. We are facing the transition to an economy that is based on knowledge, so the field of education needs to pay attention to the necessary skills in this industry 4.0”. Gaitán stresses that in this new environment, repetitive and automated tasks will be carried out by machines or robots, but those that require experience, creativity or decision-making based on uncertainty will continue to inhabit people and their talent.
For Rodolfo Álvarez, PhD in Economics and Business and professor at OBS Business School, technological evolution will impact the job market in two different ways. “On the one hand, to blue collar positions (operators, waiters, masons...) through the implementation on an industrial scale of automation and robotization processes that may replace and/or complement this type of profession carried out by humans, and on the other, to white collar positions (clerks, legal assistants, accountants, computer programmers...) that will not be impacted by the automation and robotization of industrial processes, but will be affected by technological developments derived from artificial intelligence" .
The report from the World Economic Forum shows that technology and digitization will be the ones that most accelerate the loss of positions such as administration or secretarial jobs, including bank and store tellers or administrative staff dedicated to data entry. The paradox is that the fastest growing jobs are based on technology and digitization. Employment of data scientists and analysts, big data specialists, artificial intelligence and machine learning specialists, and cybersecurity professionals is estimated to grow by 30% on average through 2027.
All of this means that the reality of work is different from how we had conceived it to date, and that adaptation to change is essential and key to finding employment in this new context. “Governments and companies must invest to support adaptation to the jobs of the future through the structures of education, professional retraining and social support that can ensure that people are placed at the center of future work”, said Saadia Zahidi, Director General of the World Economic Forum, during the presentation of the aforementioned report.
Today, industry 4.0 is demanding profiles of highly qualified employees, with knowledge of cutting-edge technologies and skills in problem solving, teamwork and adaptability to change. For this reason, for Rodolfo Álvarez, "the key competence to develop is the ability to learn, which will allow us to adapt to the jobs offered by the labor market of the future, and the skills and knowledge that it requires". The OBS Business School professor stresses that the learning strategy to be used must be based “on a double track, making the teaching of new knowledge and conceptual skills compatible through educational institutions with practical learning based on the job training on the job ”.
Mercedes Gaitán points out that both today and in the future, social skills such as the ability to understand different cultures, communication and research skills, knowledge of languages or the ability to communicate online will be important. Other aspects that must be taken into account are the ability to work in a team, to transfer knowledge and to negotiate, as well as leadership skills. The expert from Carlemany University points out that the profiles of people who work in the industry are going to change. "For example, engineers will have to learn new approaches as 3D printing offers much more freedom than current technologies." And he considers that immediate access to information is transforming the concept of knowledge workers, "with challenges such as decision-making in real time, solutions to complex problems based on the intelligent and ethical use of artificial intelligence and data manipulation. responsibly."
Antonio Sánchez explains that in the last two years, the Secpho job bank has acquired exponential dynamism, generating a large number of offers around new profiles that did not exist just four years ago. "There is a combination of new technical profiles and other more traditional technical profiles, but they incorporate new skills and knowledge adapting to digital change."
Faced with this reality, the president of Secpho recommends never stopping training. "Today the changes are so fast that this is no longer going to have a career that allows you to access the labor market, but it will be the first step of many more in continuous training." He also believes that workers must have skills in cutting-edge technologies, teamwork, problem solving and adaptability to change. And he stresses that academic training can provide a solid theoretical foundation in disciplines such as robotics, optical metrology, artificial intelligence or cybersecurity, "but in the industrial field it is key to have profiles that have good professional training that provides practical skills in the use of specific tools and technologies.
