The potential the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) will have on Africa is significant; while digitisation is resulting in increased efficiencies bringing with it fresh opportunities for economic growth and job creation, the continent is to truly benefit from 4IR
Mobile technologies and services have already generated 1.7mn direct jobs. The public and private sectors must rethink skills development and the way people work, said PBT group’s Andreas Bartsch, head of innovation and services.
“Advanced technologies like artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), and robotic process automation (RPA) are starting to take over many repetitive tasks. Cynics argue that this comes at the cost of the very jobs that 4IR intends to create. However, as people can now focus more on the value they can bring an organisation, this presents the perfect opportunity to provide them with the skills necessary to be successful in a digitally driven world. It is now all about learning new things and embracing a more adaptable way of working,” commented Bartsch.
Bartsch believes that the most important soft skills when it comes to 4IR are not necessarily technology-driven ones. Instead, it is whether a person is willing to learn continuously. As part of this, being creative, having a high level of emotional intelligence, providing good analytical thinking, having a growth mindset, and an ability to make logical decisions help significantly in this regard. Additionally, good interpersonal communication and showing leadership are also important.
“Of course, being tech-minded will help, but this is not about understanding how to code or put a computer together. It is very much a case of how best to use solutions to unlock business value. Things like mobile technologies, the cloud, and data analysis are the enablers of this,” stated Bartsch.
Global battleground
Even so, there is still a requirement for essential IT, data analytics, and AI skills at organisations across industry sectors. Businesses across Africa are now competing globally for these and other scarce skills as 4IR becomes mainstream.
Organisations should also take a closer look at the skills essential for a 4IR environment. This includes data scientists, data architects, data engineers, and other specialist IT functions.
“While many tertiary institutions are still lagging when it comes to coursework and degrees designed to create these roles, organisations can themselves invest in their employees and upskill them - providing them with the experience necessary in these critical positions,” Bartsch continued.
Managing change
It may be easy to give into the temptation of rushing out to build skills or to attract exciting new talent for the 4IR environment. However, organisations must always keep change management in mind especially as how it pertains to integrating the new into existing processes, systems, and ways of doing things.
“In a digital world, HR takes on an even more critical function. This department must integrate into the entire organisation to ensure employee engagement is high, there is an understanding of how people’s needs are met, and to identify any concerns individuals may have when it comes to the work environment,” explained Bartsch.
“With 4IR being such a critical element for business success in the future, decision-makers have no choice but to adopt this new way of doing things and invest in skills development aligned to 4IR as they seek to capitalise on future growth opportunities,” concluded Bartsch.
