Automation and technological development translate into a transformation of the labour market and a decrease in employment in sectors such as production or agriculture. On the other hand, they influence the dynamic development of the IT sector and create demand for new services and jobs. That's why computer scientists and experts in new technologies are now in great demand. On the Polish market, their deficit reaches about 50 thousand. New specialisations such as big data scientist are also gaining in popularity.
- Automation, robotization and the internet of things is a challenge for our economy. Studies show that this is a threat to the labour market in sectors that require physical strength, such as production or agriculture. On the other hand, it is a great opportunity for the IT industry because it causes increased demand for new services and creates jobs - says Newseria Biznes Anna Krakowiecka, director of the HR office of Sygnity, a software provider of IT solutions.
This is confirmed by the conclusions of the latest report "Technology and man" of the consulting company Deloitte. It shows that technology development has a major impact on the transformation of the labour market. Progressive automation narrows down employment especially in manufacturing, agriculture and crafts. On the other hand, it causes rapid growth of new jobs in technology and business-related industries. Technological progress also translates into an increase in consumer purchasing power, creating new services and related jobs.
Deloitte experts cite a study by the American PEW Foundation, according to which 48 percent of specialists employed in the new technology sector believe that machines and robots will replace workers in many sectors in the future. It is estimated that up to 35% of jobs in the UK could be automated in the next 10-20 years. However, Deloitte economists prove that this applies to industries where repetitive activities or physical strength is required.
- It is impossible to replace an employee with a machine where a strategy has to be built or where negotiations have to be conducted," explains Anna Krakowiecka.
The director of Sygnity's HR office stresses that for employees in this industry, the development of new technologies means the necessity of continuous self-improvement. In order to keep up with the dynamic market, they need to keep up with the latest developments and stay one step ahead of customer needs.
- We need to be strongly focused on what is happening not only in the field of IT and technology, but also know what is happening in our customers, what challenges the market presents and what is happening in our economy - says Anna Krakowiecka.
Last year, the European Commission alerted that there is already a shortage of almost 300,000 IT specialists across the EU. By 2020, demand could rise to one million. The Polish labour market is facing a similar problem. Today, there are about 50,000 computer scientists missing. The use of big data is becoming more and more popular, so the need for experts in data processing and analysis is also growing rapidly. Experts agree that big data scientist is currently one of the most sought-after professions in the world. This is best seen in the United States, where by 2020 there is expected to be an estimated shortage of about 1.5 million experts on large data collections.
- Currently, companies are mainly looking for programmers, the most popular languages are Java and .NET. However, the IT market is growing so fast that new specialisations are constantly being created. We see a big demand for big data specialists. It's a market associated with the growing amount of data that is processed in each project. At present it is one of the best paid industries - says Anna Krakowiecka.
The HR Director at Sygnity points out that students and graduates who want to develop in the IT industry should build their careers based on improving their skills and following market news. In addition to lectures and classes, they should also take advantage of internship programmes, which allow them to gain their first work experience and give them the chance to find a future employer. On the other hand, IT companies also need to constantly train and improve the skills of their employees in order to be able to keep up with a dynamic and changing market.
- In 2015 we focused on training related to technical, technological and certification skills. However, in 2016 we focused not only on the development of technological competences, but also soft skills such as people management, project management, negotiations or fashionable storytelling - says Anna Krakowiecka.
Source: biznes.newseria.pl
