Ni, Ni
By Daniel Javier, Director of Quality & CSR
In a previous note I talked about the changes in technology, robotization and the internet that are transforming the world in a faster way than what social structures can adapt.
At the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, a study was shared that smart robots will eliminate more than five million jobs in the next five years.
The study warns that advanced robotics, artificial intelligence, self driving cars, 3-D printers, biotechnology, the “internet of things” (objects communicate with each other online) and other new technologies will have a major impact, bigger than employment and social security in the near future.
Those most threatened by the loss of employment will obviously be the least prepared and perform tasks that can be automated. In-store vendors are replaced by online sales, supermarket cashiers by self pay cashiers, manufacturing workers by robots, and taxi drivers are being replaced by self driving cars. The process has already started long time ago and it will increase exponentially.
The educational level will be decisive and in a few generations we go from needing to be just literate to having at least to dominate computers and speak languages. A college degree is no longer a guarantee of a good job.
Today ‘s note complements those thoughts, drawing attention to a worrying and growing phenomenon, which is the lack of adequate education for the future and, on the contrary, the growth of the phenomenon “neither” (neither study nor work).
The education system of our region is exhausted and it collaborates to manufacture a growing number of the “neither” phenomenon. Two-thirds of these in Latin America are women, many of whom drop out due to pregnancy. But the fastest growing population group is not the young men, many of whom are recruited by gangs or organized crime.
The number of young people who do not work or study has grown to 20 million over the last decade, according to the new World Bank study, this number is increasing, threatening to provoke further inequality, poverty, and crime in the future.
What is surprising is that this growth occurs despite the boom times that come from benefiting LA countries.
What can be done?
Of course, we must demand from our vote and in our sectorial trade union action that governments use their taxes properly, that they take measures to inform young people about the benefits of finishing their studies, keeping young people in schools and out of the streets, that there are offers of technical training. Governments must combat corporatism in education and honor the image of the educator.
Education is the source of solutions to all social problems.
From the companies we can do our part with social responsibility, we can collaborate to the personal and professional development of our workers, we can help them with the education for their families (conditioning the aid to results), we can offer space for internships in the company, and collaborate with clients, suppliers and audiences to achieve better results.