Jobs require an overhaul in education system

MUMBAI: Amidst concern about robots replacing manual labour in the middle skill jobs, a report released by industry body Assocham  along with global audit firm PwC has called for an overhaul of the education system to meet the emerging industry demand. The report also noted that the increasing use of artificial intelligence (AI) could jeopardise the government’s effort to create millions of jobs through its flagship Make in India initiative.

“AI-driven automation raises the most commonly foreseen pitfalls in society— the potential mass obsolescence of manual labour in the middle-skill order, such as factory workers and technicians. The key point here is that with robotic automation, the Make in India initiative may not end up creating nearly as many jobs as it is poised to at this point in time,” the report said. According to it, the current sequential approach to skill building through a person’s formative academic years may face obsolescence in a society with rapid de-skilling of jobs through robotic automation.

“Academic policy formulation and dissipation of knowledge should migrate from the traditional curriculum to a more specific one tailored to emerging industry demands,” the report noted. Artificial intelligence refers to the ability of a computer or a computer-enabled robotic system to process information and produce outcomes in a manner similar to the thought process of humans in learning, decision-making and solving problems.

Some of the sectors that would witness shrinkage of employment opportunities, but would get positively impacted in terms of improved productivity are information technology (IT), manufacturing, logistics, travel & transportation, financial services, consumer goods and services among others. “If a large number of people end up unemployed for extended periods of time, there needs to be a way to provide healthcare, disability and pension benefits outside employment. In the event of continuous unemployment or underemployment, government schemes to provide a minimum level of income to each citizen to guarantee basic needs are necessary to keep them out of destitution,” the report added.