There seems to be a constant stream of reports predicting the disappearance or radical transformation of numerous jobs due to artificial intelligence. This has led younger generations to reconsider their career plans and gravitate towards jobs that require technical skills in order to reduce the risk of being replaced by machines.
Thumbtack, an American home services platform, conducted a survey of 1,000 Americans aged between 18 and 30 to gauge their interest in skilled trade professions. The findings revealed a genuine interest in these fields, which demand mastery of complex knowledge. Almost half of the respondents (47%) indicated that they would consider a career in these professions.
Younger generations are particularly drawn to technical professions due to various advantages they offer. One such advantage is flexibility, which over 80% of the surveyed individuals expressed interest in. Recent studies have shown that flexibility is a crucial factor in attracting and retaining talented employees, especially those who are not particularly interested in corporate culture.
The shorter training duration and lower educational costs associated with technical professions are also appealing to young individuals, along with the relatively quick professional integration for graduates. Additionally, over 80% of respondents are attracted to the entrepreneurial aspect of these professions.
This is hardly surprising, as Ernst & Young’s 2021 Gen Z Segmentation report indicates that 45% of Generation Z members have a strong inclination to start their own businesses at some point in their lives.
Are any professions AI-immune?
According to a Thumbtack survey accessed by Fast Company magazine, 74% of individuals aged 18-30 believe that skilled trade jobs are less likely to be automated in the future compared to other occupations.
However, experts hold different views on this matter. The potential for automation in a particular job is often determined by factors such as the need for creativity, manual dexterity, or the presence of routine tasks. Economist Gregory Verdugo explained in an interview with Journal du CNRS in 2018 that this approach is imperfect, citing the example of driving, which was initially considered resistant to technological revolutions but is now being transformed by the development of self-driving cars.
But what do professionals in technical fields think? Are they as optimistic as the younger generation in believing that they won’t be replaced by robots or artificial intelligence software? In fact, they are even more optimistic.
According to a survey conducted by Thumbtack with 800 industry professionals, almost all of them (95%) believe they will not be replaced by new technologies. However, they express concerns that their sector may struggle to attract new talent and that future generations might shy away from these professions. For now, these concerns appear to be unfounded. – AFP Relaxnews
Credit: The Star : News Feed
