TECHNOLOGY
scare mongered by negative coverage on robots and automation technology . While half admit that there is resistance to implanting newly automated processes , common belief appears to be that such resistance is misguided .
So what can be done to allay these fears ? The same research claims that nearly 80 percent of manufacturers feel the need for greater efforts in promoting the benefits of new technology in the workplace . Nearly half of all industry professionals state their business fails to communicate these benefits , especially to those frontline staff who may feel the most threatened .
UPSKILLING This would seem the most sensible place to start , along with some meaningful joined up collaboration between commerce and governments both in the UK and across Europe to address skills deficits .
According to the European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training , Europe ’ s top
‘ workforces need to be suitably developed in order to maximise benefit from emerging technologies ’
five skill shortage occupations are IT professionals , medical doctors , STEM professionals , nurses and midwives and teachers . However , the picture varies from one country to another . For example , all EU countries barring Finland lack IT workers , while Belgium , Greece , Spain , Hungary , Latvia , Lithuania , Luxembourg and Portugal have no shortage of teachers .
So while the question of whether robots and automation will significantly displace humans may still be up for debate , there is little doubt that workforces need to be suitably developed in order to maximise benefit from emerging technologies . Failure to do this , and the Luddite fallacy may one day ring true .
22 July 2017