Automation A Risk For Many UK Jobs

Automation is a growing risk for many jobs in the UK, with a new report by FutureAdvocacy highlighting the UK constituencies likely to be hardest hit by the increased use of technology instead of people.

The constituency where most jobs are at risk of automation is Hayes and Harlington, where up to 39.8 per cent of positions could be lost to robots and other technology.

FutureAdvocacy has made a number of recommendations on what can be done to minimise the risks of automation to the UK’s workforce, and among them is to look at how to alter the education system to ensure people are trained in the areas where automation is least likely to be an issue.

Further training in the STEM subjects of science, technology, engineering and maths is just one of the suggestions, as is training in creativity and interpersonal skills.

If you’re working in a job that is at risk of automation in the coming years, now might be the time to look at retraining, such as by signing up for electronic principle courses. Even if you’re only just starting your career, it may not hurt to look at how you could expand your skills at this stage by picking up some new knowledge.

Earlier this month, PwC’s Young Workers index pointed out that 28 per cent of young people in the UK are at risk of losing their jobs to automation. The organisation noted that 24 per cent of 16 to 24 year olds in the country currently work in the wholesale and retail sector, where the automation risk is 44 per cent.

By comparison, jobs in the STEM subject areas only have a five per cent risk of automation in the near future.