Professions of the future: business and government should work together to create a new generation of specialists
In today’s world, professions don’t just change – they disappear and reappear at an incredible rate, sometimes in just a few years. What was recently considered the pinnacle of a stable career can now become archaic. Automation, artificial intelligence, globalisation – these forces are constantly reshaping the labour market. A modern person can no longer afford to be stuck in one profession for life. On the contrary, the secret to success lies in flexibility, the ability to adapt quickly and fearlessly learn new professions. When some professions are just beginning to emerge, the ability to anticipate future trends and respond quickly to challenges is becoming one of the main conditions for survival in the labour market. The willingness to learn and change course is what determines who will succeed and who will be left behind.
What professions have appeared on the labour market in recent years
The world of work has undergone such transformations in recent years that choosing a profession for life now looks like a rare luxury. According to the McKinsey study ‘The Future of Work After COVID-19’, one in 16 workers will have to radically change their career path by 2030. Dynamic changes covering all areas – from technology to social interactions – make us think about what the labour market will look like in a decade. Nowadays, no one is surprised by the professions of an SMM specialist, content manager or data scientist, although few people used to know about them.
However, the modern labour market is constantly evolving, so professions that have emerged just recently are striking in their novelty. A few years ago, we had no idea that certain professions would even exist, but now they are gaining popularity and creating completely new career opportunities. For example, virtual reality used to be only on the pages of science fiction, but now there is a profession called a virtual reality curator. Today, companies are actively looking for specialists who can create virtual worlds for entertainment, education, and even therapy. This is a profession that provides users with the experience of being ‘immersed’ in another world, and it continues to evolve with the rapid pace of VR development.
Who would have thought that we would need specialists to control the moral aspects of artificial intelligence? However, the development of technology requires that we have people who are able to understand the ethical dilemmas that may arise in the field of AI and how to solve them. AI ethicists help us avoid unfair decisions, biased algorithms, and inequality.
If ten years ago the word ‘influencer’ was not part of the common vocabulary, today an influencer manager is a profession that requires not only content creation but also management of teams of specialists, marketers, analysts, and lawyers. Influencer managers create strategies to help bloggers and social media stars grow their businesses.
The profession of the future that is only now gaining momentum is the emotion designer, who creates products and services aimed at evoking certain emotions in users. It can be gaming content, mobile apps, or even household appliances. The main goal of their work is to customise the interaction in such a way that it is not only useful but also emotionally engaging.
The COVID-19 pandemic has given rise to new professions in healthcare. An SMM doctor is responsible for healthcare communication via social media, helping institutions interact with patients, explain important medical recommendations and organise support. They help make medicine more accessible and understandable through proper communication in the digital world.
These and other professions are only the beginning of global changes in the labour market, which is constantly moving towards innovation and technology. Therefore, someone who is just choosing their career path now may find themselves in a completely new, unexplored field in a few years, which is only emerging in our time. That is why it is clear that careers will become much more flexible, and we may all have to learn something new more than once.
Education of the future: how educational institutions should adapt to the new realities of the labour market
The modern labour market is changing so fast that the education system simply does not have time to adapt to new requirements. Technological advances, automation and digitalisation are transforming the economy, creating new professions that require new skills and approaches to learning. Traditional educational institutions often struggle to catch up with these changes, but the result is a mismatch between what students learn and what businesses need.
According to a study by the World Economic Forum (WEF), more than 85 million jobs could disappear due to automation by 2025. The main drivers of these changes are technological progress, globalisation and changes in consumer habits. And each of these factors is changing the labour market in its own way. Automation is already gradually replacing people from routine processes. Thanks to artificial intelligence, robots and algorithms, many tasks can be performed much faster and more efficiently. For example, accounting processes that used to require entire departments of specialists can now be fully automated. Similarly, professions related to data processing, such as archivists or database operators, may become unnecessary as artificial intelligence can easily handle such tasks.
Globalisation not only opens up borders for businesses, but also allows many professions to provide their services remotely. This affects the demand for specialists in offices or physical service points. For example, the professions of translator or travel agent can be replaced by automated systems or remote services from another country. While the need for local specialists used to be enormous, such services can now be accessed from anywhere in the world.
Modern consumers are constantly changing their habits and preferences. A few years ago, video rental was a popular industry, but with the emergence of streaming services such as Netflix and Amazon Prime, the profession of a video rental operator has disappeared. Similar changes are happening in brick-and-mortar stores, as more and more people are opting for online shopping. This could lead to a reduction in offline retail jobs, such as sales assistants.
It is now almost impossible to find a telegraph operator or a video rental operator – these professions have become history. In the future, we may see the disappearance of supermarket cashiers due to the introduction of self-service checkouts or logistics workers due to automated warehouses and delivery drones. Even familiar professions such as drivers may be threatened by the development of self-driving vehicles.
The future dictates its own terms, and those who want to remain competitive will have to adapt quickly to the new realities. Otherwise, there is a risk of being among those whose profession will become part of history. However, despite the rapid changes in the labour market, there are professions that will remain relevant in the future. Teachers and lecturers will continue to play an important role as the need for quality education will only grow. Doctors will also remain indispensable, as medical care will always be in demand, especially given the development of new healthcare technologies. IT specialists, engineers, environmentalists and alternative energy specialists will be among the key professions due to the need to address environmental issues and the transition to renewable energy sources. Professionals in marketing, architecture and urbanisation will also remain in demand, as the development of cities and technologies requires new solutions for the efficient management of resources and space.
At the same time, it is predicted that 97 million new jobs will be created in areas related to technology, data analytics, artificial intelligence and other innovations. This means that education has to radically change its approach to keep up with the demand for qualified professionals in the future. One striking example is the profession of system administrators. While a few years ago, students were taught classical programming languages such as Java or C++, today the industry is already using more advanced tools such as Kubernetes or Docker to work with cloud services. It’s the same in analytics: those who have studied traditional analytics methods now have to learn artificial intelligence and machine learning to be competitive.
However, the problem is not just the speed of change. The time to approve curricula in educational institutions often exceeds a year, which only widens the gap between students’ skills and the real needs of the market. For example, according to McKinsey, business is increasingly in need of specialists in cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, and environmental technologies, but only a small proportion of university programmes include these areas as core disciplines. In addition, it is necessary to expand the formats of short-term training courses and retraining programmes for those already working, as the OECD predicts that about 50% of workers will need new skills in the next five years.
Thus, the educational system should be not only theoretical but also practical and future-oriented to help graduates quickly adapt to new conditions and meet the requirements of the modern labour market.
Business and the state in creating new models of specialist training
To ensure Ukraine’s competitive position in the global labour market in the coming years, business and government need to join forces to create new models of specialist training. It is important not only to modernise curricula but also to develop practical cooperation between educational institutions and businesses. Companies can help identify the skills that will be needed in the coming years, and educational institutions can help train students to meet these demands.
Businesses know what specialists are needed today, and they know even better what specialists will be in demand in 5-10 years. However, this information often remains within the walls of corporations, instead of being transformed into an effective educational strategy for the whole country. Cooperation can not only ensure the development of industries such as cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, or alternative energy, but also contribute to deep systemic changes in the educational infrastructure. A vivid example of this is SET University, a new generation Ukrainian innovative technology university that provides higher education to future leaders of the technology industry. SET combines a modern approach to education with a focus on science, technology and entrepreneurship.
The situation with Google is worth mentioning. The company, which has long been an unshakable leader in search technology, has faced a serious threat from innovative solutions such as ChatGPT. This artificial intelligence tool has radically changed the approach to information search, forcing Google to urgently create its own generative AI models. This is a clear signal: even giants like Google understand the importance of responding quickly to technological changes and the constant need to train specialists capable of implementing new solutions.
There are similar examples in other industries. For example, Tesla actively cooperates with technical universities to create innovative curricula with a focus on electric vehicles and alternative energy sources. This cooperation allows not only to train a new generation of engineers, but also to accelerate technological breakthroughs in the field of environmentally friendly transport. It is important to note that Tesla does not just hire students for internships – they collaborate with teachers to help develop courses that prepare specialists for specific tasks of the company.
Another example is Amazon, which is actively investing in employee training to develop its logistics and technological processes. The company understands that the future belongs to those who are constantly learning and adapting to new conditions. That is why Amazon has launched a retraining programme for its employees in the US, which enables them to acquire new skills in areas such as cloud computing, software development and engineering. This approach allows the company to prepare its employees for the challenges of the future.
Therefore, business cannot wait for educational institutions to adapt on their own. Without close cooperation between business and the state, the country risks being left behind as the gap between what students study and the real needs of the labour market grows. Cooperation between the government, business and universities is key to training specialists who will be able to work with the latest technologies, adapt to changes and create innovations. Most importantly, this will enable Ukraine to remain competitive on the global stage.
A historical overview
The history of mankind knows many professions that seem strange or bizarre to us, but they were once an integral part of social life. Some of them are so eccentric that it’s hard to imagine how these people lived and worked every day. However, at one time their role was important, and no one could have imagined that they would eventually disappear. Nevertheless, people successfully coped with their duties, even if it makes us smile now.
In medieval Europe, when cities suffered from epidemics spread by rats, the profession of rat catcher was vital. They used various traps or even specially trained animals to fight the rodents. It was a dangerous job, because with every rat you could catch a serious disease.
Before the advent of electric lights, the profession of lamplighter was essential to ensure safety on the streets at night. Lantern makers lit and extinguished gas lanterns, and this was not only a physical job, but also required responsibility, as dangerous incidents could occur in the dark.
In some cultures, for example, in ancient Egypt, the profession of a mourner at a funeral was common. They were hired to create an atmosphere of deep grief and sorrow by loudly mourning the deceased. It was a kind of social norm – the more mourners at a funeral, the more honour was paid to the deceased.
In the nineteenth century, when leeches were widely used for medical purposes, there was a special profession of couriers who delivered these ‘medical instruments’ to hospitals. They had to collect leeches in swamps and deliver them in special containers so that doctors could use them for bloodletting. The women who collected leeches often walked through the swamps with their feet bare, letting the leeches suck on them, and then collected them to sell to doctors. It was hard and unpleasant work, but it was essential to the medical procedures of the time.
Before the advent of wristwatches, there were people who told the townspeople the exact time. They walked the streets and shouted out every hour so that people could keep track of time. This work was important because there were times when there were no modern means of measuring time.
In some parts of Europe, there were professions of ‘alarm clockers’ who woke people up for work or important things by shooting dry peas from tubes through windows. This was a very popular service before the advent of alarm clocks, and such ‘wake-up callers’ could get paid a lot of money for their work. They would walk around the city and wake up those who couldn’t wake up on time.
In ancient times, when poisoning was one of the main threats to rulers, there was a profession of food tester. These were people who tasted every dish before it was served to the king or emperor. It was a dangerous job, because in case of poisoning, they were the ones who became victims.
For many centuries, the profession of executioner existed, and it was one of the most cruel and controversial in history. Executioners were responsible for carrying out death sentences, as well as public punishments such as corporal punishment or torture. In medieval Europe, they were part of the legal system, enforcing the law through dire punishments. Although the profession aroused fear and contempt in society, executioners were considered necessary to maintain ‘order’ and enforce the decrees of the authorities. They were often shunned even by their own society because of the brutal nature of their work, but they were granted certain privileges, from a substantial salary to the right to live outside the city, where they could avoid contact with the rest of the community.
In Victorian England, the profession of a carpet line man was to straighten carpets during important events. Every inch of the carpet lines had to be perfectly laid out so as not to disturb the aesthetic harmony during the ceremonies.
These unusual professions are a thing of the past, but each of them was important in its time and reflected the needs and challenges of the era. Looking at them today, one can only wonder how much society and technology have changed.
Oksana Ishchenko
