Tag: employment

Digitalisation linked to slowdown in job creation – study

Digitalisation linked to slowdown in job creation - study

The report found that a third of jobs are at high risk of being affected by digitalisation A new report has found that one in three jobs in Ireland is at high risk of being affected by digitalisation over the next five years.

The study by the Expert Group on Future Skills Needs also found that those most at risk of displacement by digital technologies are those with lower levels of education.

The analysis says digital technology is rapidly changing how, where and when we do work and increasing efficiency and productivity levels.But the body, which advises the Government on current […]

Want a robot-proof job of the future? Start getting creative

Want a robot-proof job of the future? Start getting creative

Work that uses basic digital skills is more likely to disappear than jobs that rely on decision-making, judgment and the ability to create digital content

The question of how we can best deal with the swiftly changing face of the workforce is a challenge for policy-makers, chief executives, educators — and, of course, workers. You only have to go into a supermarket and see that the cashier has been replaced by a self-service checkout machine to be reminded of the scale and scope of change. It’s no wonder that people feel nervous about their job prospects.

There is also great […]

If Amazon Go technology goes big, grocery workers may get the sack

If Amazon Go technology goes big, grocery workers may get the sack

In 1912, the first Horn & Hardart automat opened in New York City.

A combination of high-tech ingenuity and frugal convenience, the automat was a restaurant that cut out costly servers. Patrons fed coins into streamlined sets of vending machines to get main courses, side dishes and desserts among hundreds of choices.

The concept actually originated in Germany in 1895. Joseph Horn and Frank Hardart licensed it for the United States, opening first in Philadelphia. But it became a Big Apple icon, a backdrop for many movies. As one appreciation described it , “Dining was communal and cafeteria-style, to the extent […]

How Upskilling Can Pave the Way for Blue-Collar Workers’ Employment in the Future

How Upskilling Can Pave the Way for Blue-Collar Workers' Employment in the Future

To be successful in the age of automation, blue-collar workers need upskilling and training to survive in the market hastily opting for robots over humans With artificial intelligence (AI) and automation displacing several human jobs, many blue-collar workers will require special skills to survive in the future. Unlike white collar workers, blue collar workers spend significant amount of time in physical activities. Whereas, the white-collar worker typically performs work in an office environment and may involve sitting at a computer or desk. To be successful at their jobs in the age of automation, blue-collar workers may also need upskilling […]

Taxing robots is a bad idea

Taxing robots is a bad idea

Around 5.7 million jobs in SA will be at risk due to automation. As more jobs become automated globally, prospects of unemployment have sparked worldwide debate on whether governments should impose a tax on robots that are taking over human jobs.

This is not a good idea, as it will not counteract the negative effects of automation, said Professor Rasigan Maharajh, nodal head of the Department of Science and Technology and chief director of the National Research Foundation’s Centre of Excellence in Scientometrics and Science, Technology and Innovation Policy. He was speaking at the Global Work Tech Scenarios 2050 conference, […]

Women should not be barred from any job

Women should not be barred from any job

A pilot trains on a flight simulator at the Bombay Flying Club’s College of Aviation in Mumbai, India. (Reuters) If there was ever a hashtag that resonates with the majority of today’s women it is #TheFutureIsFemale. Whilst acknowledging that this slogan is at least 40 years old, it holds more weight today than ever before.

If the future is indeed female, it is quite concerning that there are still places and occupations around the world where women cannot work. Despite the great strides most countries have made to encourage more females into the workforce, there are still many jobs from […]

Walmart Now Has Robot Janitors Scrubbing Their Floors

Walmart Now Has Robot Janitors Scrubbing Their Floors

It seems the much-feared robot apocalypse may finally be here. Starting next year, it has been announced that hundreds of robot will now be scrubbing floors at Walmart stores nationwide.

The new Zamboni-style janitors will be roaming Walmart’s aisles this January. The firm has ordered 360 of these autonomous cleaners.

Before you fear for safety, it should be noted the robotic janitors come equipped with yellow safety guards on both sides to deter any adventurous customers who might be tempted to hop on and take a ride. A siren also informs people of the robot’s arrival.The robots also have sensors that […]

Questions for the Age of Automation

It seems to be normal that the first emotion associated with accelerated velocity is a sense of exhilaration and a desire for still further speed. However, as the acceleration continues, there comes another feeling, particularly if this change is a radical departure from the normal pace of operations or activities. This change is a feeling of apprehension, a sense of misgiving concerning whether this speed can be properly controlled and whether it can be lived with effectively. So scholar Leon C. Megginson wrote all the way back in 1963, at the very start of the automated workplace. He noted […]

Intelligent Robots Are Here to Make Workers Lives Better

Intelligent Robots Are Here to Make Workers Lives Better

Chris Barber Every successful business leader knows that having the right employees on staff, performing the right jobs, is essential to a profitable business. However; not all successful business leaders know that the right person for the job might end up not being a person at all…

Incorporating robotics systems powered by artificial intelligence (AI) into workforces has been a game-changer for many manufacturing companies. Similarly, the supply chain and logistics businesses that adopt these technologies not only find that their warehouses and distribution or fulfillment centers are more productive, but they are more adaptable to business changes and they […]

Humans vs. robots: The role of automation in GM’s factory closings

Humans vs. robots: The role of automation in GM’s factory closings

Linda Nazareth is a senior fellow at the Macdonald-Laurier Institute. Her book Work Is Not a Place: Our Lives and Our Organizations in the Post Jobs Economy will be published this month. Robot arms weld the bodies of fourth generation Toyota Prius cars on the production line at the company’s Tsutsumi assembly plant in Toyota, Aichi on Dec. 8, 2017. It really was not as simple as a bunch of robots swooping in and telling the auto workers that they were done and that the cars were going to be made a different way. General Motors’ decision to close […]