Up to 20% jobs face existential threat due to business disruptions
- Apparel and textile sectors will see demand for apparel data scientists, environment specialists and IT process engineers among other new job categories
- Auto segment may see demand for roles like automobile analytics engineers, machine learning-based vehicle cybersecurity expert etc
New Delhi: Automation, digital dependence and gig workers will see a big traction in the manufacturing sector, while 10-20% jobs in labour intensive sectors will face an existential threat due to the changing business environment, an industry report said on Thursday.
While 10-15% of existing jobs may face an existential crisis in automobile and allied sectors in the post covid-19 world, textiles and apparel sectors are likely to see 15% to 20% of existing employments losing to the new world order. On the positive side, between 5% and 10% of workers would be deployed in jobs that do not exist today, a report by federation of Indian chambers of commerce and industry (Ficci) said.
By 2022, at least 50% of the workers would be deployed in jobs that have radically changed skills sets in the auto sector and up to 40% in the textiles and apparel sectors, said the report prepared in collaboration with Nasscom and consulting firm EY.
Among new job roles, apparel and textile sectors will see demand for apparel data scientists, environment specialists and IT process engineers among other new job categories. Auto segment may see demand for roles like automobile analytics engineers, machine learning-based vehicle cybersecurity expert, 3D printing technicians, sustainability integration experts etc.
“The biggest challenge faced by the organizations, especially manufacturing, for recovery will be getting back to work and re-imagine work as we embrace the new digital reality,” the report said adding that in manufacturing sector, we could also witness mass adoption of technologies including robotics, artificial intelligence, big data to mitigate the shortage of manpower due to covid-19.
“Labour intensive manufacturing sector depends on large workforce on the shop floor for their operations. But new 'social distancing' norms would require different approach to resume manufacturing activities. Emerging new business models and swift shift towards producing healthcare & medical equipment would also require workers to be re-skilled and up-skilled,” the report said.
Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) was already on the rise and now shortage of shop floor manpower due to covid-19 impact on migrant labourers, will fast track companies to integrate it to adapt to the new normal, the industry report said.
In a labour surplus country like India, such a shift, if becomes a reality, will have a huge negative impact on the labour market that is already struggling due to inadequate employment generation, high informality and lack of decent work.
The report said five new skills will be in huge demand in a post covid-19 world. This includes ‘data literacy’, which means making sense of data and in-depth understanding of business trends and shifting customer needs, creativity and innovation, digital marketing for continuation of businesses, critical thinking to determine what is credible and big data to make businesses more resilient to future pandemics.
The report said ministries like heavy industries, and textiles need to work closely with industries, and ministries like human resource development and skill development need to focus on higher order skill training in collaboration with industry partners.
The current focus of early stage skill training needs a relook keeping in mind industry 4.0 and the disruptions caused by the pandemic, the report added. It said higher educational institutions and universities should enjoy freedom to offer courses as per demand of the industries so that their students can be employed better.
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First Published:16 Jul 2020, 05:53 PM IST
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