There are valid reasons why some people are afraid of AI because, in fact, according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), an estimated 1.1 billion jobs could be “radically transformed” by technology in the next 10 years. A report from the World Economic Forum states that by 2027, 43 percent of work tasks will be automated. It’s easy to see why people should invest in reskilling and upskilling, while there is still time.
It’s good to ask if the Philippines is spending and doing enough to promote adult learning and future-ready education. Needless to say, if we are not prepared, our GDP will suffer. If we insist on using outdated learning systems, our workforce will not be able to secure the jobs of the future. This will not only affect individual livelihoods but also the country’s economy as a whole.
Elsewhere, intense preparations are underway. For example, a group of 350 organizations is working together, under the WE Forum reskilling program, to make sure that 1 billion people will have better education, skills, and economic opportunities by the year 2030. This effort started early, before the pandemic hit in 2020. It’s a huge task being carried out by 64 CEOs, 32 ministers from 16 countries, and organizations such as Coursera, Infosys, The Lego Foundation, LinkedIn, UNICEF, and hundreds of other groups. It’s a Reskilling Revolution that is being pushed forward by business members, chief learning officers, online learning providers, labor unions, NGOs, education practitioners, and philanthropic organizations.
It would be extremely beneficial for our local labor force if we are part of global efforts such as this one and if our public and private institutions are creating similar opportunities to accelerate the reskilling and upskilling of our own workforce. There is quite a big skills gap to close and it will be tragic if we are to one day wake up and realize that we’ve been left behind. Collaboration with other nations will also offer great opportunities for sharing ideas and best practices.
Teaching and learning strategies must be evaluated to integrate improvements that support future-ready education. We can begin by identifying where we’re lacking and accepting the flaws. There is research to prove that “investment in reskilling and upskilling of the workforce has the potential to boost GDP by $6.5 trillion by 2030, while investing in future-ready education for today’s generation of school children could add an additional $2.54 trillion over the same period.”
As many have already said, AI is here to stay and so, rather than fear it, we must work with it by taking advantage of the technology and making sure we are equipped and ready to grow along with it.