Automation has always been a controversial concept within shipping, mostly led by the fear of technology overtaking the place of people. Now, the pandemic brings a new reality, with the lockdown measures and traveling restrictions making automation important, but also a challenge to the future of the work environment, as the world is now required to combine people, algorithms and robots, in a more efficient way.
The digital change coming
A report issued by the World Economic Forum highlights that automation in tandem with the COVID-19 recession, is creating a ‘double-disruption’ scenario for workers. Except the current disruption and challenges that arose from the pandemic, the new reality leads companies to transform tasks, jobs and skills by 2025.
The survey to senior business leaders, from nearly 300 global companies, reveals that:
- 43% of businesses indicate that they are set to reduce their workforce due to technology integration
- 41% plan to expand their use of contractors for task-specialized work.
- 34% plan to expand their workforce due to technology integration.
By 2025, the time spent on current tasks at work by humans and machines will be equal. A significant share of companies also expects to change locations, value chains, and the size of their workforce due to factors beyond technology in the next five years.
Furthermore, among the permanent reforms that the pandemic has shaped for the future is remote working, which is expected to be a more attractive alternative for employers and office employees, even after the crisis has ended.
Job automation and restructuring workforce
WEF evidence also suggests that, in addition to the labour market displacement caused by this health shock, employers are set to accelerate their job automation and augmentation agenda, raising the possibility of a jobless recovery. Data from the same survey shows that companies expect to restructure their workforce in response to new technologies.
Among the business leaders surveyed:
- Over 80% report that they are accelerating the automation of their work processes and expanding their use of remote work.
- A significant 50% also indicate that they are set to accelerate the automation of jobs in their companies.
- More than one-quarter of employers expect to temporarily reduce their workforce and one in five expect to permanently do so.
- 43% will introduce further automation, reducing the current workforce
- 34% expand their workforce as a result of deeper technological integration (34%).
Meanwhile, although it is obvious that automation is taking place, one important factor emerging is digital training, which calls for soft skills and communication among workers.
Digital Training
Communication, collaboration and lead are playing a major role. Soft skills are more crucial than ever, with the effective leadership and soft skills training, customized to the organization’s needs and, ideally, offering a relevant and personalized learning experience.
Keeping in mind that everyone in today’s world is connected through smartphones and devices, the various aspects of our lives are now more integrated than ever.
In general, effective leadership and soft skills training must be customized to the organization’s needs and offer a relevant and personalized learning experience.
Crew manager Henrik Jensen has commented that seafarer training will significantly change and predicts that it will remain digital after the pandemic, as the industry is looking for innovative solutions for working and studying.
This move was already happening but has been accelerated by the pandemic. There should be no difference in the standard of a seafarer who qualifies online and one who does so in person, and the cost savings for employers and seafarers are important at this difficult time.
In addition, one specific challenge with soft skills training is that learners feel they “already know this stuff”. After all, they do it every day. Yet, often, their skills have room for development, both for their personal and professional advancement and for their organization to be more successful in the marketplace.
Emerging digital training trends
#1 Geofencing
By using a smartphone or other device, geofencing provides bits of job-related training and development just when you need it.
#2 Individualized training
The employees have the opportunity to follow specific training according to their needs, enabling them to approach the training they need best, to boost their operations.
#3 VR and AR training
Virtual reality, as well as augmented reality, will play key role in digitalization. Thus, VR is now expanding to more areas as a way to practice a skill before it actually needs to be applied. Augmented reality offers benefits from customer service and healthcare.
#4 24-hour resources
24-hour resources provide a flexible environment when it comes to training, giving the opportunity to the one interested to follow the training when they have time. Through flexibility, they will be able to access learning materials online any time, and with advanced tools like lab simulations you can even carry out science experiments from the comfort of their own home.
#5 Gamification
Organizations are using gamification to give learners a time constraint and approach a situation by thinking on their feet. This approach mimics the real world, where employees need to react quickly during conversations and customer interactions.
The way forward for workforce digitalization
Taking the above into consideration, the important question is under what conditions the global labour market can be supported towards the new reality of labour between human workers, robots and algorithms. It could be assumed that governments have a role to play by pursuing a holistic approach, creating active linkages and coordination between education providers, skills, workers and employers, and ensuring effective collaboration between employment agencies, regional governments and national governments.
