Gloom & Doom?
From the headlines to politicians running for office to TED Talk gurus we are being fed a constant diet of frightening news and statistics on jobs, the economy, our futures:
- Top 10 Disappearing Jobs – Fortune
- 20 Careers Headed for the Dustbin – Forbes
- 17 Disappearing Middle-Class Jobs – 24/7 Wall Street
- Will Your Job Disappear? – USA Today
“Creating good paying jobs and raising incomes is the defining economic challenge of our time.” – Hillary Clinton
“For most of our history, the U.S. proudly led the world in building infrastructure that grew our economy, gave our businesses a competitive advantage, and provided our workers a decent standard of living. Sadly, that is no longer the case.” – Bernie Sanders
“We have to take back jobs from Japan, and Vietnam, and Mexico, and virtually everybody that’s taking our jobs and ruining our manufacturing base.” – Donald Trump
“2 billion jobs will disappear by 2030.” Futurist Thomas Frey, TEDxReset Conference
Regardless of what the headlines shout, the politicians spout, or the pundits put out, amid all the gloom and doom, there are some stunningly bright spots.
U.S. Job Market On Track To Grow 7% Over Next 10 Years
This means more than 10 million more Americans will be employed by 2024. The stellar news is that there are careers and jobs that will grow at much higher rates. We’re talking 16-106% growth.
Decade’s 10 Fastest Growing Jobs
Job Rate of Growth
Accountants & Auditors 16%
App Developers 11-32%
Computer Systems Analysts 22%
Dentists & Hygienists 21-31%
Information Security Analysts 30.9%
Market Research Analysts 28-41%
Nurses & Nurse Practitioners 26%
Personal Finance Advisors 32%
Physical Therapists & PT Assistants,
Aides, & Occupational Therapy
Assistants 25-34%
Wind Turbine Technicians 106%
This is great news for people who are just beginning to prepare for their future career or job. Each of these opportunities requires specific education and training. For those whose jobs are being phased out, but are not ready to retire, these changes present some daunting challenges.
Sources: Kiplinger Report & Bureau of Labor Statistics
Other Factors That Affect Our Future
- 50% of our students are being educated for dying jobs and 28% arrive unprepared for the workplace.
- For the first time in history, we will have 5 generations in the workforce – the iGens, Millenials, GenX, Boomers, and Traditionalists – 20 something to octogenarians.
- Telecommuting, virtual teams, and globally dispersed workers will use technology to get the job done and freelancers, contractors, and part-timers will replace full-time employees.
- Power generation throughout the world will change from huge national grids to micro-grids – a single home, a single city.
- Robotics and 3D printing will change the way consumer and industrial products are made, sold, and shipped.
- Traditional ways of managing people and measuring performance are changing. Annual appraisals and rating scales are out, monthly or weekly feedback conversations are in.
A Learning Revolution Is Coming
Formal education, training courses, and off-site events are playing a decreasing role in learning for work. Employees are expected to take greater responsibility for their own professional development. To do that they will seek out mentors, learn online and independently from their own networks. The Open Courseware Movement, which includes Khan Academy and Apple iTunes, is delivering free or low-cost content from K-12 to graduate level study to on-the-job training. This change will dramatically affect my business.
Human Resources, Learning & Development, and Talent Management executives must be part of strategic planning for their organizations, as well as provide practical support to business units and workgroups that foster on the job learning. Only 25% or American corporations have formal mentoring programs. The rest depend on their leaders, managers, and supervisors to play a critical role in modeling, mentoring and coaching their team members.
The challenge is that mentoring and coaching skills don’t come naturally to most people. But these skills can be learned and mastered. Though I love and appreciate on-line workshops and seminars, my experience with my clients is that face-to-face teaching of mentoring & coaching skills is still the most effective way people to learn the basics and become proficient.
The future we’re living and working into comes with so many uncertainties. We can take positive steps to make sure our people have the supports in place to not simply weather the changes, but rather to thrive and grow – it will be good for them and good for your business. – Originally published by BizCatalyst 360.
Susan Bender Phelps, Founder of Odyssey Mentoring & Leadership, works with companies, who want to maximize employee engagement, build leaders, increase profits and productivity, in other words, have employees who want to come to work. Susan is a corporate trainer, speaker and author –www.SusanBenderPhelps.com.
