Preparing for tomorrow’s 4IR workplace with skills and knowledge gained today

Preparing for tomorrow’s 4IR workplace with skills and knowledge gained today
Preparing for tomorrow’s 4IR workplace with skills and knowledge gained today. Image source: Pixabay

The Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) is radically reshaping the workplace environment for organisations of all sizes, operating within every industry and sector, as technological trends such as robotics, internet of things and artificial intelligence empower workers to become more efficient and productive.

The flip side of the increased efficiencies of organisational processes, however, is that many routine jobs are at risk from becoming automated. In fact, a report by Accenture has found that over a third (35%) of all local jobs, which amount to nearly 5.7 million jobs, are currently at risk of total
automation.

“In order for companies to make the most of the 4IR technology trends, they will need to tap into skilled staff who can employ these technologies to increase employee productivity, help make business processes more efficient, and enable people to collaborate and communicate from anywhere and anytime,” says Professor Alwyn Louw, President and Academic President at IIE MSA, previously known as Monash South Africa, and now a leading brand of The Independent Institute of Education (The IIE).

Market research company Gartner, showed that while advances in technologies like artificial intelligence will cut 1.8 million jobs as a result of automation by 2020, it will  also help create more jobs (2.3 million) than it renders redundant.

The journey towards success in the 4IR enabled workplace begins with the first step of obtaining the right qualifications from tertiary educational brands such as IIE MSA that can empower graduates, job seekers and budding entrepreneurs with the skills and knowledge required for the current and future workplace.

For instance, while technology is enabling people to become more productive than ever before, it is also making businesses more at risk from security threats from the perspective of cybersecurity. This makes qualifications such as an IIE Bachelor of Computer and Information Sciences offered at IIE MSA vital as it not only prepares graduates with in-demand skills like advanced programming, software engineering, and data management, but also necessary skills required for every modern business such as information and network security.

Engineers are also required within South Africa, as data from the South African Institution of Civil Engineering revealed that the ratio of engineers to people in South Africa (1:3200) are almost ten times lower compared to developed countries such as Europe and the US, where the ratio is 1:130- 450. The shortage of skilled engineers has a widespread effect on South Africa and the African

Continent at large, affecting the country’s functioning in the globalised business environment and economy. By studying the IIE Bachelor of Engineering (Mechanical or Electrical or Electronic Engineering) degree, offered at IIE MSA, IIE graduates will gain the opportunity to obtain skills and knowledge that are in high demand, making them sought after by many potential employers.

“Graduates as well as current people in the job market needs to upskill and reskill themselves in order to adequately prepare themselves to take up the opportunities and solve the challenges presented by the 4IR workplace,” concludes Louw.

 

About The IIE MSA:

IIE MSA is a brand of The Independent Institute of Education (The IIE). The IIE is South Africa’s largest private higher education institution which operates across 23 sites. The IIE is internationally accredited by The British Accreditation Council.

MSA was founded in 2001 by Monash University Australia and is formerly part of Laureate International Universities. The IIE MSA is celebrating, since its inception, 18 years of providing quality education and customised articulation pathways across two faculties; the Faculty of Business, Engineering and Technology and the Faculty of Social and Health Sciences. IIE MSA also runs a one-year pathway IIE Foundation Programme that articulates into IIE undergraduate degrees. IIE MSA graduates are equipped with the knowledge, competencies and skills to lead change, shape the future, shape the industry and shape the world.

To learn more, visit www.iiemsa.co.za