Limits of digital upskilling, reskilling

No amount of reskilling can prepare workers sufficiently for the new knowledge economy. Governments need to help workers move to growing sectors, including hybrid high-tech and high-touch options.

A robot at the World Artificial Intelligence Conference in Shanghai in July. The writer says it is highly unlikely that improved digital skills will be of help to the individual who is confronted with standardisation of knowledge work, labour arbitra
A robot at the World Artificial Intelligence Conference in Shanghai in July. The writer says it is highly unlikely that improved digital skills will be of help to the individual who is confronted with standardisation of knowledge work, labour arbitrage, deskilling and finally automation through AI. But he adds that experts in data engineering, machine learning, cyber security, privacy, robotics and other emerging fields continue to be in high demand. PHOTO: REUTERS
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While nobody knows how long it will take for the global economy to recover from the impact of the pandemic, many observers predict that firms will accelerate their efforts to digitalise, automate and downsize, thereby hampering a job market that was already showing signs of weakness before the crisis.

In an attempt to assist mid-career job seekers in an increasingly tight and contested labour market, some countries have made digital upskilling and reskilling a core part of their Covid-19 relief packages.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on September 24, 2020, with the headline Limits of digital upskilling, reskilling. Subscribe