the world economic forum at the beginningof the year released a report on the future of jobs, predicting that changes caused bytechnological advances and the fourth industrial revolution will lead to 7 million jobs lostby 2020. partially offsetting that will be the creationof 2 million new jobs. what do we do in the face of the new technologicalrevolution? new jobs, new opportunities... part two of our three part series... withkwon jang-ho. technologies, industries and jobs have allcome and gone, in a world that has always been changing.and now another change is coming. it's the fourth industrial revolution -- andit's fueled by quickly advancing technologies,
such as artificial intelligence, roboticsand nanotechnology,... all held together by big data. "the essence of the fourth industrial revolutionis big data and incorporating that into ai technology, iot hardware and robotics. itwill bring smarter and better services, and change many industries, from finance to law." the growing importance of data can be seenin a list from 2015 of the most in-demand job skills worldwide.number two was statistical analysis and data mining, and it was also the only skill inthe top four for all countries that were analyzed. its popularity can be attributed in part tothe current lack of supply compared to demand.
this is best illustrated in korea, where thenumber of people in data-related work is said to need an increase of 20-thousand, or 20-percent,to match industry demand. to get a better grasp of the situation, ivisited a data analytics company in seoul that is currently looking to hire more datascientists. "in the last five years, data -- especiallysocial media data -- has grown in importance, but there's so much of it, it's hard to handle.but because it's an urgent issue, companies are looking to hire people right now, andthere aren't enough qualified people out there." if that's the case, why aren't there morepeople trying to get into the field? i wanted to see if i could get in on the action.
"say i came to your office one day and i said,data scientists are in high demand and i want to become one. would it be possible? whatwould your advice be?" "there are many ways you can take to becomea data scientist. but actually the most important thing is having experience working in a companyor industry to better understand and interpret the data. and of course you need have studiedstatistics, engineering or computer science at university. but a u.s. expert once saidyou need a minimum 5-8 years in-the-field experience to become an elementary-level datascientist." so it's safe to say i won't be becoming adata scientist anytime soon. but data is not the only new field comingout of the fourth industrial revolution.
"i'm here at a 3d-printing school in seoul,where one of the students has kindly made us this 'arirang' logo. through the coursesoffered here, they can learn everything from designing 3d prints, to making the machinesthemselves -- and it can even count towards a professional 3d-printing certification." with 3-d printing becoming simpler, cheaperand more reliable, more and more individuals and companies are making use of it, openingup a new industry. "i studied computers and product design, andthat's how i learned about 3d printing. i was supposed to get ready to get a job, buti thought this was a great opportunity. by learning about 3d printing i feel like i'minvesting in my future."
"i ran a business for 25 years, and i wasgetting ready to retire ... i think this course will give me a new lease of life. throughthis opportunity i can develop and make new things, i believe this is something i cando even into my old age." opportunities can be expected to grow in othersectors as well, from computing to robotics. and although many of the jobs we know todaywill disappear, it's something that cannot be avoided. "it was the same a hundred years ago. jobsthat were around then aren't here anymore.
growth of 3d printing industry,changes in society will create new jobs. thatwill mean re-education is needed, education in schools will need to change. but it's anissue we will have to face and adapt to,...
and not one we should fear." kwon jang-ho, arirang news.
