Blog: Work, Technology and the Future of Skills
Inglés
OIT
La Organización Internacional del Trabajo es un organismo tripartito de la ONU que promueve el Trabajo Decente a través del empleo, la seguridad social, las normas laborales y el diálogo social. Su labor en el desarrollo de competencias se rige por el marco conceptual sobre las Capacidades para mejorar la productividad, el crecimiento del empleo y el desarrollo, acordado en 2008 por los representantes de los Gobiernos, las Asociaciones de Empleadores y las Asociaciones de Trabajadores. La investigación, el asesoramiento sobre políticas, los proyectos piloto y los programas de cooperación técnica para aplicar buenas prácticas en circunstancias diferentes en sus 185 Estados miembros tienen como objetivo mejorar la empleabilidad de los trabajadores, la productividad y la competitividad de las empresas y la capacidad integradora del crecimiento económico. La Secretaría de la OIT en las oficinas de 40 países trabaja con los Ministerios de Trabajo, organizaciones de empleadores y sindicatos para integrar el desarrollo de competencias en las estrategias de desarrollo nacionales y sectoriales con el fin de: responder mejor a las necesidades actuales del mercado de trabajo y prepararse para los empleos del futuro; ampliar el acceso a la formación relacionada con el empleo para que los jóvenes, las personas con discapacidad y otros grupos vulnerables estén mejor preparados para adquirir competencias y conseguir un empleo productivo y decente; y mejorar la capacidad de los servicios públicos de empleo para proporcionar orientación profesional, mantener Bolsas de Trabajo y ofrecer programas activos del mercado laboral. Si desea obtener más información sobre la labor de la OIT en materia de competencias y empleabilidad, visite: http://www.ilo.org/skills/lang--es/index.htm; para la Plataforma de gestión del conocimiento de OIT/Cinterfor, véase http://www.oitcinterfor.org
Prever las necesidades futuras en materia de competencias
Anticipación y adecuación de las necesidades en materia de competencias
Opinion by Paul Comyn, ILO Senior Skills Specialist
The world of work is undergoing major change, and some observers believe that current shifts are fundamentally different from historical patterns, making the current wave of technological change unique – a Fourth Industrial Revolution. One of the arguments for this is that the prevailing cycle builds on the achievements of previous waves of technological change and brings them together in an unprecedented way. Developments in previously disjointed fields such as artificial intelligence and machine learning, robotics, nanotechnology, 3D printing and genetics and biotechnology are all building on and amplifying one another like never before.
Compounding these technological developments are other trends evident in global systems of production and employment such as the growth of global value chains, new business models of distributed production and forms of work organisation that will increase the use of contractors in the ‘gig economy’. Coupled with supply side issues such as demographic trends, increasing migration and youth unemployment, labour markets of the future are going to look very different to how they are today.
Amongst these ideas, commentators seem to be divided between those that argue there will be increasing and persistent technological unemployment due to the disruptive effects of technology, and those that hold a more nuanced view that future automation is unlikely to completely destroy many jobs. This perspective argues that automation will replace some tasks that will fundamentally change the nature of jobs workers will perform, but that except for a minority of jobs, the job itself will not be at risk.
There is also recognition that whilst the direct impact of productivity enhancing process innovations will redesign and remove some jobs; these innovations also have the potential to trigger new economic activities that will create jobs. This technological spill over effect involves innovations that displace workers in one industry creating demand for workers in another industry. Given all this, it’s almost impossible to predict the exact nature of technological change nor the type and location of skills required as a result. Regardless, it’s clear that to successfully manage this transition, more investment in skills and training will be required to prepare workers for the jobs of the future.
In such a rapidly changing employment landscape, the ability of skills systems to anticipate and prepare for future skill requirements, job content and employment trends will become increasingly critical for businesses, governments and individuals. In this context, the importance of active labour market programs and community and adult education and training will need to be reinforced to complement learning opportunities that currently exist in formal education and training systems.
To continue reading the rest of this Blog, download the PDF found immediately below.