While the automated economy is often seen as a threat to many of today’s jobs, ManpowerGroup South Africa MD Lyndy van den Barselaar notes that it will open up employment opportunities for those with the right skill sets, as the digital transformation continues to change the way we work.

“While it is true that automation has already begun to infiltrate many industries, and in some cases replace humans for certain tasks, the news is not all bad. Automation also presents the opportunity for new roles, organisational departments and even industries to be created. What will become most important is having the right skills to be able to work in conjunction with technology, respond quickly to innovation and adapt to the changes in the workforce. Skills like coding, data analytics and representation, search engine optimisation, SQL, Java and C#, for example, will continue to become more and more important in the successful running of all organisations, and those who have the right skills will be at the top of the employment food chain,” Van den Barselaar highlights.

This makes education, training and skills development more important than ever. “This is another important area that digital transformation has improved; through online learning platforms, education and skills training have become more accessible than ever. Platforms like Manpower Group’s powerYOU digital training platform, which provides online access to thousands of online courses and certifications covering a range of topics for people to update their existing skills, as well as explore new ones to develop for future job opportunities, make skills development convenient. Anyone with an Internet connection and a mobile device can access online education.

Not only is this revolutionary in terms of the South African business environment, but [it] will [also] bode well for entrepreneurship and economic development,” she adds.

Further, Van den Barselaar notes that the responsibility lies with South African employers too. “While learners, graduates, job seekers and employed individuals should be keeping up to date with market trends and taking advantage of online educational platforms, it is important that employers are aware of the important role they play in the development of skills across the board,” she points out.