These are times when several of us have had to make mid-career choices. Whether we are teaching or working for an IT company or working in a manufacturing Industry. They have all gone digital. Digitisation is a modern genie and once out of the bottle will set the direction for everyone to follow. We also have to fall in line. We seldom see or feel the changes overcoming us, before existing skill sets become obsolete and then find ourselves in the midst of acquiring new skills sets. The new in-demand skill sets include those in software development, robotics process automation, big data analytics and information technology security. Change needs time to internalise. Are we prepared for these changes? Problem solving skills that we so assiduously acquired, have to be reinvented. Even as a coding expert or a software engineer at a business consulting group, we suddenly find ourselves monitoring dashboards, application programming interfaces and other web applications in new environments. Though the native skills still help, the expanse of new experience is both challenging and worrying.
A discussion paper of the McKinsey Global Institute of May 2018 reports that automation will accelerate the shift in required workforce skills we have seen over the past 15 years. The Report further estimates technological skills, to rise by 55% and by 2030 will represent 17% of hours worked, up from 11% in 2016. The rise will affect both demand for basic digital skills and advanced technological skills such as programming. Even demand for social and emotional skills such as leadership and managing others will rise by 24% to 22% of hours worked. Another rise would be seen in the demand for higher cognitive skills.
ICT permeates all services and occupations today. Everyone is concerned about the future impact of technology on their jobs resulting in anxiety that must be mitigated. People worried about being made redundant or not having the right skills must be helped in their quest. To make the switch less painful, signing up for reskilling and skill upgradation courses will be imperative. Enrolling for web development courses at coding schools all over the country help in easing the pain. Further, various programming languages and tools are needed to be picked up on the job. Ability to think rationally and act with reason will stand in good stead. Signing up for a foreign language will help. Technical translations is big business and a skill that earns money besides building new contacts.
An emerging market is the Gaming Industry, be it pc gaming, or console gaming or mobile gaming where, unlike movies, the plyer himself is the hero. Tremendous opportunities wait to be explored. This industry needs programming skills. In 2018, the video games market generated $131 billion, with mobile gaming outpacing revenue made by pc and console gaming. The video games market could become a $300 billion industry by 2025, with the growth of mobile gaming and innovative offerings, like cloud gaming, according to a May 2019 report from Global Data. The skills acquired here help in programming online quizzes, simulations to teach mathematical concepts like randomness, and even automated email replies. Besides the learning, it is great fun as well.
Data science seems to pervade every area. Whatever skills got a job in 2017 doesn’t work today, and the disparity between data science hiring standards today and those that will apply one or two years from now will probably be even bigger. Python skills, working with Jupyter notebooks are all important. Starting with a more conventional “scikit-learn” type data science role and migrating to deep learning later will enhance one’s life cycle. Demand for fullstack developers is so high that companies sometimes end up asking data science experts to toggle for the new requirement.
The country transforming into digital economy seeks new age skills. As the technology marches ahead, the contours of existing jobs have changed. While some have become obsolete, new opportunities have emerged in hitherto unknown sectors. Communication skills along with collaborative and adaptable mindset to cope with a rapidly-changing workplace are as important. Employees will also need to rise to the challenge, embrace new skills and stay ahead of the curve.
Our universities could hand hold the difficult phase by including digital workplace courses that help people gain foundational digital skills such as understanding emerging technology and data trends as well as professional conversion programmes for people looking at a career switch. The education system needs to evolve alongside the rapidly-changing technology landscape. Our MSME’s too would do well to upskill their existing workforce or tying up with the Universities. The unemployment rate in the month of October 2019, jumped to 8.5%, the highest in over three years. An average unemployment rate in the world is 2% to 2.5%. We cannot afford to breach this percentage. Unemployment, whether due to obsolescence of skills or unavailability of appropriate jobs or employment opportunities is a serious concern in times of economy’s downturn. Be it as it may, the industry has been finding it most difficult to hire are those in IT security, business intelligence, technology risk, cloud technology, and software and application development. Educational institutions engaging technology need to create and adapt to all these areas.
Cloud is the new normal, and with the rapid adoption of cloud technologies by almost all organizations, whether enterprises, small medium businesses, government agencies, start-ups, or educational institutions, both students and working adults need to go beyond the three basic life skills of reading, writing and arithmetic. Probably, cloud computing knowledge needs to be seen as the fourth life skill. Of course, the challenge remains on how to manage the digital push for the existing workforce, especially those that have a higher risk of lagging behind. The government must push the envelope here. Instead of offering a comprehensive suite of online courses via MOOCS or SWAYAM, open to anyone including students across all backgrounds, a Career Job Board must be created to provide cloud-related job opportunities.
One of the most difficult things is making a mid-career switch. Anyone who has changed careers knows the pain all too well. It is extremely difficult to get that first job in the new industry. There is a silver lining However, Don’t discount the skills that are built up over the course of an existing career because a lot of that is transferable. Subsequently, a passion to succeed will carry one through.