The Year of the Jobs Discussion: 2016

As we welcome the New Year, I believe it is a time for a frank discussion on employment. Unemployment tends to be a buzz topic however in 2015 the impact of technology on the nature of employment became very visible. The rise of freelancing platforms, the Uber contractor/employee debate and reduction in traditional employment shows that the world is looking differently at employment. Equally, the Caribbean has to change its approach to employment by moving beyond having jobs to deciding on what the jobs of the future are going to look like.

Let us start with the simple assumption that: there is a general desire to work for a comfortable income but the opportunities which provide such are limited. These limited opportunities create a cycle of constantly training within the workforce to become more competitive at getting quality jobs. For millennials this cycle is difficult because they are exposed to lifestyles and career choices previously unavailable. The widespread push for entrepreneurship and the reduction of the barriers to entry into some specialised fields have made it more difficult to answer the question of "What would you like to become?"

Therefore I believe that in deciding on what the jobs of the future are going to look like, we should begin with these questions:

What does the workforce produce?

Few persons know how the resources in their society are circulated and used to maintain the general standard of living. In the employment context, knowing where resources are concentrated can help predict the skills that would be in high demand and how a person can position themselves for better opportunities. There are two general categories of what can be made which are products and/or services: a product is typically tangible and transferrable while a service is an act experience which tends not to be transferrable. Entering the workforce means that the education and training received is preparing you to be involved in trading a product, service or both throughout your lifetime.

For Caribbean professionals, the reality is that the region is service driven in regards to proportion to GDP. This is unsurprising, if you check all the things you used today the chances are that very few are Caribbean made. ECLAC report shows that leading the way are financial and business services, tourism based services, construction services and distribution in Caribbean economies. The IMF groups the region as commodity exporters, service-based economies with focus mainly on tourism and financial services. This economic reality is unlikely to change soon since our competitive strategies mainly involving look for new services that can bring growth and welfare.

Having service based strategies become challenging when services are either concentrated around one sector or heavily dependent on the success of a sector. Unfortunately, the region is stuck in such positions where the economies are tourism based or where the economy is tied to the success of the energy sector. We need a workforce that can either make new products or decentralise the types of services that are offered.

What conditions best suit the workforce?

Technology is continuously integrating work into the lives of the workforce. The image of business happening in a cubicle with persons following linear commands is changing. Work is happening anywhere and anytime technology allows. Flexible working conditions, such as Uber, are becoming popular because it gives persons the freedom typically associated with the information era. The region has to develop the policies that protect employees from potential exploitation while giving employers the space to innovate on how work is done. It is likely that technology will encourage work that is flexible and integrated into the lives of the workforce.

Does the career pathway exists?

Interestingly, technology has created new careers while putting others on the endangered species list. Specialist professions such as law, accounting and medicine although relevant are losing their prestige because of large amounts of information generally accessible. Outdated jobs such as travel agents, postal workers, newspaper delivery and retail cashiers are disappearing globally as new jobs become more technology based. Likewise, as technology integrates with our lifestyles, jobs like social media experts are projected to decrease since the new workforce will likely to have gained such skills during their lifetime. It is not merely creating any tech job but those that are constantly innovating. The decreasing life span of jobs becomes a call to change how we train the upcoming workforce.

These questions are at the foundation for rethinking employment in the Caribbean. It is equally important for entrepreneurs and policy makers to influence the job market in a manner that improves productivity. The importance of this topic will become ever more important in regional economies that are facing tough economic times.

Thank you for reading this post, to join the collaboration movement (1) Like this post and share your comments below, (2) hit the “follow” button at the top of the page, (3) share this post with your friends and (4)check out other interesting articles

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Joshua Hamlet is an evangelist for the importance of collaboration. His company Inspire Consulting focuses on education and mentoring for Caribbean entrepreneurs and start-ups. He has a Bsc in Psychology and Msc in International Relations.