Jobs without a future

Jobs Without a Future

Yesterday we explored the great and very probable likelihood that in as little as 20 years times, the landscape of the job market is likely to have changed beyond all recognition. But, as our story yesterday proved, while new jobs are likely to be created, some are likely to fall by the wayside; lost forever as a distant memory of years of employment gone by.

And, while advances in technology and mobility are likely to create roles that otherwise sound like something out of a science fiction movie, jobs that are - by their very definition - more "hands on" are reportedly at risk of become obsolete by, say, 2020, at least according to job market analysts.

That's because there is a belief that jobs that currently rely purely on "intellect and knowledge" are the ones that can be most easily replaced by machines.

In fact, the warning from analysts - and the thing that is most likely to appeal to HR leaders of the future - is, "It's the human side of your job that you still want to be able to add value to."

So just what are the jobs that are likely to swallowed up thanks to technological advancements, machines and a distinctly less human approach...?

Store assistant

The concern here is really two-fold. First is the fact that job security in this field is likely to decline as the online shopping arena goes stratospheric, and analysts believe that in-store assistants will become surplus to requirements as existing stores install self-service scanners and robotic shelf stackers.

What's more, analysts also believe that all jobs that center on dealing with cash handling and paper money - including bank tellers and toll booth operators - could easily become obsolete as consumers rely more and more on credit and digital forms of money.

Soldier

Analysts believe that, with time, the need to send army men and women to war will begin to wane as machines become more and more capable of going into battle alone.

Already developments in the use of unmanned combat aircraft vehicles (ACAVs) suggest that the role of the fighter pilot may well be the first to fall foul of machinery.

Construction worker

According to futurist Joel Barker, while much construction work continues to be done by hand, 3D printing may change that.

Barker believes that, instead of printing one layer of ink on paper, stereo lithographic printers - capable of printing multiple layer of material to make three-dimensional structures - may become the norm. He believes that such structures could then be used to construct houses on a mass scale - in a matter of hours.

CD store manager

It's official: the music world is going digital. And while die-hard aficionados of the compact disc aren't likely to go down without a fight, for the average music fan, the days of trawling through Tower Records to find a limited edition Pink Floyd record are long gone.

The fact is that, over time, as music producers go digital, retailers have to do the same. What's more, for even the most hardened CD collector, compact discs simply don't have the same flair as vinyl records: as such CDs also miss out on laying claim to that classic "vintage" label as well.

Union manager

The concern here is that there already seems to be a growing trend of unions with depleting numbers. Analysts believe that unless unions address this trend over the next few years, union organizers will become obsolete.

According to futurist Alvin Toffler, union leaders have already been too slow and "may soon disappear" because they have failed to "show any sign of wanting to reverse their 20-year membership decline." Toffler also notes that the "labor movement has not come to terms with the knowledge economy at all," and instead warns that union leaders should adapt to the needs of workers in knowledge, science and technology sectors.

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