Preparing for the4th& 5th Industrial
Revolutions
DR LINDA MEYER - PHD, DBA, MBAEXECUTIVE & INNOVATION OFFICER, BOSTON CITY CAMPUS & BUSINESS COLLEGE
“The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn,
unlearn, and relearn”.
Alvin Toffler - Future Shock; 1970
“65% of children entering primaryschool today will ultimately end upworking in completely new job typesthat don’t yet exist”
The Future of Jobs Report; 2016“After healthcare, the market forglobal education is the largest in theworld valued at US$6.3 trillion.”
Global Silicon Valley; 2018
What are the Industrial Revolutions?
What is the 4th Industrial Revolution (4IR)?
q AI, machine learning, 3D printing, smartrobotics, driverless cars and the internetof things - futuristic concepts becomecurrent day realities.
q Emerging technologies will impact alldisciplines, economies and industries -challenging our ideas about what itmeans to be human.
(Xing; 2017)
Emerging technology &
artificial intelligence
Automation and robotics
Unprecedented access to data and
knowledge
Globalization and population ageing
(World Economic Forum; 2016)
4IR is characterised by
What skills do employees need?
Complex problem solving
Critical thinking Creativity People Management
Coordinating with others
(World Economic Forum)
Impact on organisations & people management
Breakthroughs in science and technology and their effect on business, labour markets, and ultimately, education systems.
A 2016 report estimates that automation will replace the jobs of 137 million people in Southeast Asia within the next 20 years.
The World Economic Forum predicts net job growth overall, with 4 new roles emerging for each lost role.
(ILO; 2016)
Impact on organisations & people management
We need bold reforms and clear policies.
Many lack the necessary skills to fill new positions
Growth in employment opportunities and yet a shortage of employees with the right skills
Creative problem-solving, people management, & social intelligence remain significant bottlenecks to artificial intelligence.
(Zahidi, Saadia; 2016)
Changes in the Nature of
Work and Occupations
1. Many existing occupations will disappear 2. New jobs are emerging 3. More hybrid jobs 4. The end of fixed job descriptions5. Cross-functional project teams 6. Workforce mobility and project based
work7. Virtual organisations
“The real challenge for workers may lie not in being replaced by a machine but in how to reskill to work side-by-side with the new tools and capabilities that advanced technologies bring.” (Deloitte, 2017: 197)
Jobs of the futureThere are three key areas where humans beat machines that are key to future job creation:
• Creative endeavours• Social interaction• Physical dexterity and
mobility
(Brown-Martin; 2018)
The 4IR within the education system
Training in science, technology,
engineering, and mathematics (STEM)
Investment in information and communications
technologies (ICTs)
Expand existing facilities
Vital role of liberal arts and social
sciences
The 4IR within the education system
• ‘Soft’ skills and the ability to be agile
• Policymakers and intuitive thinkers
• STEAM - Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts &Maths.
(Araya & Lamb; 2017)
Preparation for the 4th Industrial Revolution
• Digital literacy is that next step which gives students the adaptive abilities they need to participate fully in the global digital society
• It guarantees they will benefit from the digital economyand derive new opportunities for employment, innovation, creative expression, and social inclusion.
• Education and lifelong learning will be of vital importance to equip present and future generations.
(MediaSmarts; 2010)
Emerging trends within the 4th Industrial Revolution
Massive Open Online Course (MOOC)s.
Global Education Reform Movement (GERM) assumes that market mechanisms are the best vehicles for whole
system improvements.
Bridge International Academies deliver education
on the African continent -qualified teachers are replaced with human
operators receiving instructions from a low-cost tablet
computer.
Common Core, the global testing-industrial complex and
a major investor in Bridge, plans to conquer the world
with its standardised model for education.
Open Innovation combination of humans and computers to
form distributed systems for the purpose of accomplishing
innovative tasks.
Introducing the 5th Industrial Revolution
What is the 5th Industrial Revolution (5IR)?
• In the 5IR, humans and machines will dance together, metaphorically. Davos 2019had the theme “Blockchain+AI+Human = Magic”. This equation seems impossible tosome, but it can, and will, prove true.
• AI will help increase human labour productivity. Blockchain will help give access tobanking (and intangible forms of capital) to the unbanked.
• Robots will help humans align returns on investment (ROI) with purpose. But it willrequire intentionality and moral clarity.
(WEF; 2019)
1. Profit with purpose
2. 5IR
3. Targets for progress
4. Closing the gender gap
5. Scaling and spreading(WEF; 2019)
4IR: 5 “Beacons of Hope”
5IR - United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Learning agile people driving the 4IR and 5IRRecent international research reveals that most learning agile people fall into seven distinct categories:
a. Problem Solversb. Thought Leadersc. Trailblazersd. Championse. Pillarsf. Diplomatsg. Energizers
Thank you