I have in the past talked about technology replacing workers in
the dull, the boring and the dangerous jobs in America. As such, some
have predicted that if this trend continues unchecked that it could result in
60% unemployment. So how, and who should retrain the American populace to
counteract this potential problem?
Employers: The ones in the best position to
retrain people are the employers themselves. They will need high tech
skills, mechanics and programmers to fix any problems that may arise from
issues with the machines/programs they will be using. However, colleges
and trade schools can only get a worker so far as they usually lack experience
in the field and often students must be retrained to gain the skills that
students should have gotten at these colleges. Usually this is not a
problem for trade schools that teach welding, metal work and farming, but
traditional college classes like law, and business cannot keep up with the way
the world is advancing. So the employer, or business itself has taken it
upon themselves to train individuals for the skills they need. By using a
combination of computer learning and on the job training, an individual can
become whatever the business needs them to be. This is already being done
by some businesses to address their need for skilled workers without the cost
of needing their workers to go to college or pay for someone else to teach them
the skills they need for the job they will be doing. On top of this, if the
technology changes in some way, the job can simply provide supplemental classes
and on the job training to accommodate. As such, no need to hire new
workers to replace old ones, as the old ones who the business has invested so
much money in can be kept and can continue to take advantage of their
experience.
Trade Schools: While traditional colleges are facing a
battle for survival against online education, trade schools are going strong,
but are not emphasized by the Federal leadership. Men and women will
always be needed to repair cars, machines, farm, and operate equipment and the
like. Trade schools offer this knowledge that is recession proof and is
almost always likely going to have a job. Electricians, carpenters and
Construction workers in general will never ever go away. Basically, these jobs
will always be in demand.
Government: The Government will try and help as
well. However, they are even less adaptable than the colleges that we pay
thousands to each year. Sure they can hire private companies to teach
people jobs, but that is no guarantee of getting that job, let alone them
knowing which job is really needed in the overall American Community.
Typically the government will pay a group to train people in a job that
fits their agenda (like the so called green jobs) but they usually waste their
money as these trainees either have no access to a job that fits their training
in the local area or lack the equipment to take advantage of it. But they
will try anyway (much to my chagrin).
Conclusion: We are looking at a two tired
economy here in America. On the one side we will have highly educated
computer programmers, designers, and architects while on the other we will have
the back bone of America who build what the highly educated only dream of.
It is going to be an interesting future for the future of America.
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