According to a report from the McKinsey Global Institute, the demand for STEM talent will grow up to 30% in the next six years.
In a scenario of accelerated adoption of artificial intelligence (AI), 12 million occupational transitions will be required by 2030 to meet the demand for specialized talent, according to a report from the McKinsey Global Institute (MGI). Some of the categories most likely to need a profile change are customer service, administrative support, production, food services and agriculture.
“These jobs involve a high proportion of repetitive tasks, data collection and elementary data processing: all activities that automated systems can handle efficiently,” indicates the Institute in its study 'A new future of work'.
Workers in lower-wage occupations are three to five times more likely to change careers to stay active in the labor market compared to people in higher-wage activities.
The study is focused on economies in Europe and the United States, but offers a look at the challenges in terms of talent to harness the potential of AI to improve productivity.
According to the research, the demand for talent related to science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) will grow between 17% and 30% in the next six years.
These estimates of the demand for specialized profiles, the MGI recognizes, can be altered by factors such as the aging of the population, the interest in reducing emissions or the growth of electronic commerce, just to name a few examples.
But regardless of the exact need for specialized talent, the career transitions that will be required pose another scenario for companies and the workforce, “a substantial change in the skills” of workers.
According to the McKinsey Global Institute, the demand for technological skills can grow up to 29% by 2030, and up to 14% in the case of soft skills.
“Behind this increase is increased demand for roles that require interpersonal empathy and leadership skills. These skills are crucial in management and healthcare roles in an evolving economy that demands greater adaptability and flexibility,” the study states.
On the other hand, a decrease in the supply of employment with basic cognitive skills is expected. “They are primarily required in office support or customer service functions, which are highly susceptible to being automated by AI.”
Employers recognize that technological advances are already creating difficulties in filling jobs. Advanced skills in information technology, programming, data analysis and mathematics are often the most complex to find in talent. Also “significant deficiencies are observed in critical thinking and problem structuring and in the processing of complex information.”
Retraining of skills will not be optional
Faced with the imminent career transition posed by the use of AI at work, company executives consulted by the MGI accept that if they do not develop the appropriate skills in the workforce, financial performance may be damaged and value will not be realized. of artificial intelligence.
“Leaders must plan for the company’s shift toward readiness for the era of automation and AI. This requires right-sizing workforce and skill needs, based on strategically identified use cases, to assess the potential future talent gap. “This analysis will reveal details about the extent to which new talent is hired, upskilling or retraining the current workforce that is needed,” the report states.
Among all strategies, workforce retraining is the one that convinces executives the most; up to 32% of employers would receive training to develop new skills.
But digital transformation plans do not only require training for collaborators. “Leaders must also embark on their own educational journey on automation technologies to maximize their contributions to their companies during the upcoming transformation. This includes training senior managers to explore the implications of automation technologies and subsequently being a role model for others,” highlights the MGI.
