New research into jobs of the future has identified specialists in food production as among the crucial skills South Africa and other countries will need in the changing world of work, but some jobs that may become essential don’t even exist yet.
The Brics Business Council and the Food and Beverages Sectoral Education and Training Authority (FoodBev Seta) this week launched the Atlas of Emerging Jobs in the Food and Beverage Sector, which showed that equipment operational specialists, bio-nutritionists, integration software engineers and farm technicians are among the increasingly important skills in food production.
Sherri Donaldson, a representative in the South African chapter of the Brics Business Council, said the atlas was a vital part of preparing the future workforce and ensuring that South Africa does not continue being a net importer of specialised skills.
“If we know the right skills to train, we can leapfrog the world. We also often think we are behind the world in skills, but our participation in the skills challenge that FoodBev kindly supported last year tells us that we are not as far behind as we think. But we must keep up and not get left behind,” said Donaldson.
The report cites research from a range of institutions, including the Wyss Institute of Harvard University, Princeton University, the University of Witwatersrand, Boston University School of Public Health, Da Vinci Institute, Tshwane University of Technology and the University of Venda.
There is a trend of growing automation and digitalisation at dairy farms and factories
The atlas uses a methodology known as skills technology foresight (STF), which was developed by a Russian business school and has been adopted by institutions such as the World Bank and the International Labour Organisation (ILO). The atlas said food production was well placed to modernise and create jobs.
The report highlighted that “there is a trend of growing automation and digitalisation at dairy farms and factories, from robotic milking systems and biofeedback for cows to machine learning systems helping workers to make optimal decisions”.
It added that sustainability will be at the heart of many of the coveted jobs of the future. As an example of the scope for sustainable solutions, it cited the Wyss Institute’s development of Shrink, a 100% biodegradable and compostable edible film.
“Edible film is made from an edible polymer like gelatin or wheat gluten and creates a thin layer that coats fruits and vegetables, delaying their decomposition. Bioplastic — an alternative non-polluting material to plastic — is a 100% biodegradable natural polymer made of biomass sources such as vegetable fats and oils, corn starch or recycled food waste,” the report said.
Mapule Ncanywa, head of the Brics Business Council skills group, said the Brics bloc should continue to grow together in united and sustained development and empower its respective citizens with the skills needed to prepare for the future world of work.
“It is necessary to look into what is coming so that the youth prepare to get skills for the future. That is why the Seta decided to partner with us as the Brics Business Council to put together this atlas,” said Ncanywa.
Donaldson said Russian business universities used skills technology foresight as a methodology to put the atlas together. She said all Brics member states faced the same challenge of remaining competitive in an ever-changing work environment.
“It’s a qualitative method. We are talking to people and getting their thoughts. The outcome is a possibility, not a crystal ball that magically says what will happen. It creates a map. It creates a process where we can choose where we want to go and choose how we want to get there, and that’s important,” Donaldson said.
She said an estimated 65% of children globally entering the basic school system will be working in jobs that either do not yet exist or are not yet widely known in the global job market.
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