STUDENTS from the Mahaicony Technical and Vocational Training Centre were recently treated to a rather enlightening talk on where the world of work is headed these days in their particular fields of interest.
Hosted under the theme, “The Rise of the Robots: Jobs that will be replaced by robots and Artificial Intelligence by 2020”, the seminar was hosted by STARR Computers Inc. at its Brickdam head office.
And, as the title suggests, it focused on what to expect in a changing world where Artificial Intelligence (AI)-driven devices or applications will, in time, make human resources a thing of the past.
As Starr Computers President, Mr Michael Mohan observed in his opening address, technology is slowly, but surely changing the way people relate to each other as the world enters what he calls “The Fourth Industrial Evolution”.
And with most smart devices such as robots, 3D Printing, Drones, IOT (Internet of Things) and a host of other new devices being driven by computers powered by AI software, Mohan said the world is now focusing attention more towards natural resources such as agriculture, oil and gold.
NOW MORE THAN EVER
In the case of Guyana, with its recent oil find and abundance of natural resources yet untapped, Mohan feels it now more imperative than ever that the government be very shrewd with the composition of international contracts.
“We must ensure that our contracts incorporate educational/vocational training for our young nation as contract inclusion with guaranteed employment in the short- term,” Mohan told his young audience, which was by now paying rapt attention.
He made the point, too, that it would serve the government well to continue to lend support to the acquisition of technological equipment and supplies, and to training institutions.
“This can be provided through managed subsidies and tax relief to Guyanese,” Mohan said, adding:
“An under-educated workforce means that international investors will have to bring its own employees to explore and exploit our resources, while our workforce watch the process and wait to inherit a graveyard of EOL machinery when the project ends.”
By EOL machinery, he meant equipment that had not exactly outlived their usefulness, but, from the vendor’s point of view, had reached the end of their product life.
GLOBAL DEVELOPMENT
In forecasting where the future of global development is headed, Mohan said it is estimated that by 2020, five million new jobs will have been created, and 20 million made redundant, which in effect means that some 20M people the world over will be on the breadline.
In the circumstances, he is suggesting that serious attention be paid to these new technological changes, and to advance planning, which can go a long way in helping reduce the negative impact on the Guyanese economy when the spinoff takes effect.
“Our biggest threat is the net job loss of employment abroad, which will create an influx of new migration and re-migration to Guyana,” Mohan said, adding:
“And, obviously, their higher skill-sets will become our next challenge. Hence, without training, net job gain for Guyanese will be almost zero.”
