Adecco Group CEO Alain Dehaze said the he is "realistically optimistic” as the labour market changes. It is far from the catastrophic visions of an ever-increasing substitution of human labour with machines.
Dehaze said: "I am convinced that all these changes will create many new opportunities. Let's look at the past: at the beginning of the twentieth century, approximately 40 percent of the American population worked in agriculture. Today it is only two percent, yet the United States has its lowest unemployment rate of all time."
The Adecco Group CEO lists new jobs that technology is creating – data scientists, cyber security experts, developers, programmers etc. and also calls himself a "realistic optimist." The question is: "Will we be able to create new types of business and employment? Can we re-educate people, so the work force adapts to this new competitive environment?" In these two questions lies the challenge of our times.
The real change should be in guiding this type of training by companies
Dehaze said that the key word is “training” and If we look at the current situation "the problem is that all the training after initial period of study is governed by the regions, governments and political decision makers. The real change should be to guide this type of training from the business community, such as companies. Greater collaboration between companies, players in the educational system and institutions would create a virtuous ecosystem capable of training the skills the market needs." The historical phase in which we studied, worked and then retired is past. Training must become permanent.
It is not a country-related issue. It is a global problem: "The whole world must change its training paradigm. " And it has nothing to do with large or small companies in a country, as in Italy. "Let's take Apple, for example. In every Apple Store there is a 30-minute morning briefing in which training takes place for ten minutes. Everyday. It's not just technology, and it's not a matter of being big or small. It is a problem of mindset.”
We must ensure that employees carry their rights with them throughout life.
Adecco Group CEO said: “Training and social safety nets do not have to be anchored only to the company you work for. The right to learn should be part of universal welfare services, "linked to the person, not to the contract, or company, Society is still tuned to the idea of a permanent job for life. On the contrary, we must ensure that employees carry their rights with them throughout life, regardless of the project or company they work for.”