Interview with Ksenia Zheltoukhova, Director of Research Operations, NESTA

Ksenia is Director of Research Operations at NESTA, a non profit innovation foundation. Previously she led on Research and Thought Leadership at CIPD.

Here she discusses how labour markets are likely to develop, preparedness to reskill and the consequences of the coronavirus on working patterns.

What types of jobs are at risk because of automation?

The past few years have seen both excitement about the jobs created by the advances in technology, as well as a growing fear of job loss for many. Nesta research shows that automation is more likely to radically change what people do in jobs rather than replace work completely.

Our Future of Skills research predicts that around one-tenth of the workforce are in occupations that are likely to grow as a percentage of the workforce and around one-fifth are in occupations that will likely shrink.  

“Education, healthcare, and wider public sector occupations are likely to grow.”

Education, healthcare, and wider public sector occupations are likely to grow while some low-skilled jobs, in fields like construction and agriculture, are less likely to suffer poor labour market outcomes than has been assumed in the past. Workers at risk of automation specifically include waiters and waitresses, shelf fillers, retail sales staff, farm workers and cleaners.    

What can be done to support those who need to reskill as more functions are automated and what types of opportunities are opening up?

Raising awareness of the need to reskill is critical: Nesta’s survey shows that two in three workers (68%) believe it is unlikely that their current job role will be automated in the next 10 years.  

The quality of career information, advice and guidance should be improved: career advisors should use data-driven insights to match individuals’ skills with work opportunities, and point people to jobs less susceptible to automation.

“People in low-paid work often don’t have the time, motivation or money to undertake training.”

People should be supported to keep learning: Nesta’s review of evidence shows that people in low-paid work often don’t have the time, motivation or money to undertake training. Learning providers should take into account barriers to learning and an understanding of people’s motivations to learn, and personalise learning content and delivery.    

How can young people be best prepared for a world of work that is constantly changing?  

“Strong social skills will be the key to success as demand for uniquely human skills rises.”

Strong social skills will be the key to success as demand for uniquely human skills rises. The skills forecast to be in higher future demand include social perceptiveness, active learning, active listening, judgment, and decision making. In addition, cognitive skills such as fluency of ideas, originality, and oral expression are forecast to increase in demand.  

We have developed a sample of Six Jobs for 2030 as a flavour of the types of skills that will be in demand.

Responses to the coronavirus pandemic have caused significant disruption to working practices in the UK, with those that are able to, working from home, and many not able to work at all. What might the long term impact of this be?

Some have speculated that the pandemic will lead to permanent changes in working patterns, with working from home, and flexible working more broadly, becoming more of a norm in businesses that haven’t adopted this yet.  

“The pandemic is deepening the consequences of social and economic inequality.”

But, the pandemic is deepening the consequences of social and economic inequality. While many highly-skilled employees have the opportunity to work remotely or from home, many low-skilled employees do not have this option. This will impact individuals’ ability to hold on to their jobs, as well as creating more negative effects for sectors and regions that have higher proportion of roles that can’t be delivered from home.

 

Interview conducted by Amy Wevill.