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