Covid has transformed the world. Earlier, remote work was rarely an option and now it has become a norm. Emerging technologies are accelerating the variations in skill requirements at a fast pace. Not only this, the rising new trends are reshaping the future of work in Pakistan.
It’s true that the effects of rapid variations in technology on the economy and society directly influence the future of work. However, the pandemic impacted the work pattern and employment opportunities and introduced us to the new normal. The way we used to work has altered and our perceptions about work have switched.
In the post-Covid world, the remote working option proved to be one of those inspiring changes that have the staying power. Although it was common in the West but now in Pakistan, many organizations and recruiters opted to retain this remote working option.
Youth & Unemployment
The youth of a country plays a crucial role in shaping the future of work. According to Human Development Report issued by United Nation Development Programme, 64 percent of people residing in Pakistan are aged below 30 and 29 percent population of Pakistan is youth i.e., aged between 15 to 29.
According to this report, 15% of youth in Pakistan are availing of internet services. While the rest of the youth have no access to the internet.
How can we afford to lag in this era when eCommerce and artificial intelligence are enlightening the technology every instant?
The government strongly needs to unleash the youth’s potential or else it may lead the future of youth towards gigantic catastrophe.
You can’t deny the fact that developments in technology ensure efficiency and sustainability. However, the rate at which the world is moving towards the technical era of machine learning and artificial intelligence is alarming. Machines are swapping typical human labor propagating the calamitous unemployment rate in the country.
Youth possess the power to revolutionize society and bring a change. Pakistan needs to pay close attention to direct its youth towards the right path. We need to reskill our workforce and train our youth to learn the latest technical skills required to survive in this fast-growing world. Although the world has got control over Covid, its new variants continue to emerge and disrupt the normal lifecycle provoking us to shift to online learning and working options.
According to a report issued by UNICEF, Pakistan ranks 2nd in the list of countries having maximum out-of-school children. This report states that 44% of children in Pakistan are unable to get enrolled in schools.
Are we doing justice with the future of our country which is in the hands of these children?
The government needs to provide educational facilities to these children. Otherwise, anticipating a bright future for Pakistan is no more than crying for a moon.
Lack of Tech Education
Ecommerce, online banking, and other electronic platforms are getting common day by day. To incorporate tech-savviness in our youth, there is a strong need to overcome the factors and barriers that hamper educational enrollment and retention in our country.
Inappropriate financing and the least commitment of policies in this regard are extinguishing the future of work in Pakistan. It needs government attention before it breeds cataclysmic consequences in the future.
Pakistan needs a strategic roadmap to regulate the rapidly advancing post -Covid era. Our choices and preferences today will not only determine our success in the future but also directly influences the future of our generations.
We need to update our curriculum to prepare our youth from the very beginning to tackle the world of artificial intelligence.
Skill-Based Learning
Also, soft skills are in demand more than ever. In the future, organizations will require employees to be adept at critical thinking, problem-solving, and negotiation. If you want to adapt to these changes and excel in the future, you need to learn and develop these skills as soon as possible as recruiters will prefer these skills over your traditional 10-years experience.
Working methods are changing with advancements in machinery and technology and so are the skills required to adopt these changes. If you want to survive and excel in the highly competitive job market, you need to be flexible and adaptable as the future is all about compliance to the encountered fluctuations and changes.
Also, the labor force that is most difficult to reskill demands the government’s attention. Most of the labor force is illiterate and they are unable to move with this fast-paced technical world. The future of this segment is most vulnerable. Unfortunately, the government has taken no measures to upskill the labor force with the rapidly changing work requirements.
The requirements of soft skills, adaptability, flexibility and literacy are some factors that directly influence the future of work in Pakistan. The rate of updating these skills in our people defines the excellence and brilliance of work in the future and the position of Pakistan in global advancements.
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