One in four Canadians fear they could lose their job to technology in the next few years, according to a survey from recruitment firm Randstad.
But not everyone is pessimistic about technology’s role in the economy. Sixty-eight per cent of respondents in the survey saw its impact as an opportunity, while only 32 per cent saw it as a threat.
Tom Turpin, president of Randstad Canada, said that while certain jobs will disappear in the coming years, technological change also creates new types of jobs.
“Computerization may have reduced the demand for typists and switchboard operators, but also increased the number of more highly skilled and computer savvy administrative assistants,” he said in a statement.
Advancements in technology have created “entirely new industries and occupations such as app designers, digital marketing specialists, big data architects or social media managers,” he added.
Adapting new technologies is one major way businesses increase productivity, and productivity increases generally lead to increased wealth in the long term. But in the short term, they often mean major job losses.
Many experts see automation, rather than offshoring of jobs, as the largest reason why manufacturing jobs haven’t bounced back from the recession.
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Jobs of the Future
Canada is not a world leader when it comes to automation, but nor is it a major laggard. A 2012 study found the country ranks 14th in the world when it comes to industrial robots, with 98 robots per 10,000 people employed in manufacturing (a 72-per-cent increase over the previous year). By comparison, the U.S. had 135 robots per 10,000 workers and world leader South Korea had 347.
Turpin argues no matter how much technology advances, humans will always be needed to run it.
“A computer’s ability to accomplish a task quickly and cheaply depends upon a human programmer’s ability to write rules that direct the machine to take the correct steps in each scenario,” he said.
“The jobs of tomorrow are on the drawing boards of today – being aware that innovation is occurring and making the effort to understand and grow with those innovations will help you grow and maintain your career.”
Randstad offered the following tips to help you avoid being made redundant by technology:
Take advantage of internal and external training programs: If your workplace is offering advance training, or certifications in your line of work, volunteer for them. Federal and local government programs are available for funding advanced training; research what your workplace is offering and apply or ask for the opportunity.
Stay engaged in industry innovations: Whether it is through reading a trade publication, or attending industry conferences you can see what innovations are on the rise. This can help you direct what training or career shifts you may need to address in the future.
Be first to introduce new tools, systems or processes: If you know about innovations first, you can introduce them to your organization. Taking advantage of innovations can put you in a leadership position, bring added value to your work help maintain your role’s security.