Easing job jitters in the digital revolution – Robohub

The Future of Work: Embracing Technology and Creating New Jobs

Professor Steven Dhondt, an expert in work and organizational change at the Catholic University Leuven in Belgium, has reassured people in the EU that technology should not be seen as a threat to their jobs. Instead, he emphasizes the need for a new vision that embraces technology to shape the future and create new opportunities. Dhondt’s research project, called Beyond4.0, explores how businesses and welfare systems can adapt to support workers in the face of technological changes.

The Fourth Industrial Revolution: Industry 4.0

The rapid advancement of digital technologies is considered the fourth industrial revolution, known as Industry 4.0. This revolution is characterized by automation, robotics, and artificial intelligence (AI). Dhondt explains that concerns about technology’s impact on jobs reflect wider issues about employment practices and the labor market throughout history.

Local Success Stories: Empowering Employees

The Beyond4.0 project studied businesses across Europe that have successfully empowered their employees in the face of technological changes. One example is Metaglas, a family-run Dutch glass company that invested in its workforce to stay competitive. By offering workers greater openness with management and involving them in decision-making processes, Metaglas has retained workers and turned a profit. This case highlights the importance of management’s approach to technology and its potential to enhance jobs.

Collaboration for Success: The Case of Oulu

The Beyond4.0 project also examined successful collaborations between businesses, job trainers, and policymakers. The case of Oulu, a Finnish city once dominated by Nokia, demonstrates how collaboration can lead to the growth of new businesses and the retention of skilled workers. By leveraging the expertise of former Nokia engineers in sectors such as electronic healthcare services and papermaking, Oulu now boasts more high-tech jobs than during Nokia’s heyday.

Supporting Workers: New Welfare Models

Beyond4.0 also explored new forms of welfare support for individuals facing unemployment due to technological changes. In Finland, a two-year trial of a universal basic income (UBI) was conducted, but it was found to potentially weaken societal solidarity. The project’s alternative model, called participation income, requires recipients to undertake activities beneficial to society, such as caregiving. This approach aims to provide individualized support and training opportunities for those in need.

Matching Skills with Job Opportunities: HECAT Project

The HECAT project, coordinated by Dr. Aisling Tuite at the South East Technical University in Ireland, focuses on using digital technologies to help job seekers find suitable employment. The project developed an online system that combines job vacancies, career counseling, and labor-market data. This system provides individuals with information about job opportunities, labor-market trends, and average timeframes for finding positions in specific sectors. The HECAT team aims to demonstrate the system in governmental employment-services organizations across the EU.

Overall, the Beyond4.0 and HECAT projects highlight the importance of embracing technology and developing new approaches to support workers in the face of technological changes. By leveraging technology and collaboration, it is possible to shape a future that creates new jobs and enhances the well-being of individuals and societies.

SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

1. SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

   • Target 8.2: Achieve higher levels of economic productivity through diversification, technological upgrading, and innovation.
   • Target 8.3: Promote development-oriented policies that support productive activities, decent job creation, entrepreneurship, creativity, and innovation.

   The article discusses the impact of technology on jobs and emphasizes the need to view technology as an enabler rather than a threat. It highlights the importance of developing new business practices and welfare support to shape the future and create new jobs.

2. SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure

   • Target 9.2: Promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation.
   • Target 9.3: Increase the access of small-scale industrial and other enterprises to financial services.

   The article discusses the fourth industrial revolution, which is characterized by automation, robotics, and artificial intelligence. It mentions the potential for economic growth and social progress through the emergence of self-driving cars and AI-assisted robots.

3. SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities

   • Target 10.4: Adopt policies, especially fiscal, wage, and social protection policies, to progressively achieve greater equality.
   • Target 10.5: Improve the regulation and monitoring of global financial markets and institutions.

   The article highlights the concerns of EU citizens about new technologies “stealing” people’s jobs. It discusses the need for businesses and welfare systems to adapt and support workers in the face of technological changes.

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Source: robohub.org

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