The future of work and learning
The future of work prompts organisations to adapt as quickly – if not quicker – as they have during the pandemic. Using the latest technologies (such as artificial intelligence, robotics, the Internet of Things, 3D printing, genetic engineering, and quantum computing) will be paramount to their success, and employees need to have the skills necessary to operate within this new world. So - are we prepared?
There is a justified concern that huge swathes of the UK labour force will get left behind in the forthcoming revolution.”
The short answer: far from it. Only 17% of HR DMs stated that their businesses are already implementing technologies associated with the future of work, across a number of relevant areas, and only 36% of UK businesses are implementing these technologies in any kind of capacity.
Less than a quarter (23%) of HR DMs believe their workforce is empowered to capitalise on the benefits of new technologies such as AI, cloud technology and robotics, and only 12% of employees believe they are empowered to do the same.
Under a third (31%) of HR DMs believe their workforce will be supported in all re-skilling required to meet the future demands of their roles - this belief is replicated by employees with only 28% feeling the same.
Furthermore, 16% of HR DMs stated their business has no immediate plans to implement any of the relevant technologies. This does raise the question of whether the UK economy is prepared to capitalise on forthcoming technological advances.
In our study, there are significant differences in tech adoption across industries, with manufacturing (45%), ICT (64%), and financial and insurance services (47%) showing much higher than average adoption levels, warning of uneven technological development across the UK economy, with many industries at risk of being left behind.
Unsurprisingly, micro (31%) and small businesses (19%) have the lowest adoption levels. But they equate to 30% of total employment across the UK. This means a significant proportion of the UK labour force will have no experience of these technologies in the long term. Again, there is a justified concern that huge swathes of the UK labour force get left behind in the forthcoming revolution.
It’s quite clear that there’s a worrying level of technological development across the UK economy, and our study adds credence to the fears set out by the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) that UK businesses are underinvested in the relevant technologies. The CBI argues that increased investment in the relevant technologies will support the UK in “taking on the productivity challenge9.”
The CBI also believes that adoption of key technologies and relevant management practices would add an additional £100 billion to the UK economy.
It’s clear that organisations need large upskilling programmes aligned to skills gaps associated with the post-pandemic industry in order to encourage tech adoption and learn from fast pandemic responses if they want to compete in the upcoming revolution. HR DMs recognise this too.
9CBI, https://www.cbi.org.uk/our-campaigns/driving-the-adoption-of-digital-technology/
