White Paper

Le remplacement de l’homme par la machine est peu à peu devenu une réalité, dans des secteurs aussi va- riés que l’automobile, l’agroalimentaire, la pétrochimie ou l’industrie pharmaceutique. Depuis le début des années 2000, une nouvelle vague de transformation digitale est à l’œuvre, qui a des impacts sur des métiers de plus en plus nom- breux. Et pour la première fois, la production de biens matériels n’est plus la seule concernée. Les services le sont aussi : big data, digitalisation, machine appre- nante, autant de tendances susceptibles de transfor- mer profondément des activités de service, intellec- tuelles, qu’on croyait jusqu’ici protégées de l’automatisation. Certes la digitalisation de l’économie ouvre de nouvelles perspectives de création d’emplois, notam- ment dans les domaines de l’environnement, de la performance des entreprises, de la relation client et – bien sûr – des nouvelles technologies elles-mêmes, qui sous-tendent cette évolution. On sait également que les entreprises digitales connaissent la croissance la plus dynamique1). Mais les emplois créés ne se substitueront pas aux emplois détruits, ni en termes de niveau de compétence requis, ni en termes de po- sition sur la chaîne de valeur, ni en termes de réparti- tion géographique. La digitalisation de l’économie est porteuse d’un risque de déstabilisation des grands équilibres écono- miques, sociaux et géographiques, dont on voit déjà les effets (polarisation des revenus et accroissement des inégalités, polarisation des chaînes de valeur). La France, qui n’a pas su adapter son appareil in- dustriel à la vague d’automatisation qui a marqué le secteur secondaire depuis les années 1990, doit réus- sir la transformation digitale à venir, qui aura des conséquences majeures sur le secteur tertiaire. L’in- suffisant investissement dans l’automatisation dans le secteur manufacturier (visible aujourd’hui à travers le faible taux de robotisation du parc français comparé à celui de ses concurrents), n’a pas permis à la France de protéger son appareil productif et ses emplois in- dustriels, bien au contraire. La perte de compétitivité liée au retard français a détruit beaucoup d’emploi in- dustriel. Il faut éviter que l’histoire ne se répète.

This report argues that computer-intensive automation (CIAutomation) is likely to change the nature of work and manufacturing value creation in the emerging Platform Economy. The industrial and service changes based on low-cost computation, as they become more generalized, may reverse Robert Gordon’s observations about the slowing growth in productivity. However, the increased adoption of CIAutomation also poses profound dilemmas for society that revolve around whether this automation will be used to solely to replace workers or can be integrated into production of goods and services in ways that augment human capacities and intelligence. Finally, we speculate upon the role of the state in in governing and shaping the emergence of the Platform Economy

In April 2011, the UK Commission for Employment and Skills launched Phase 1 of the Employer Investment Fund, marking the start of a new employer-led approach to skills investment. EIF enabled Sector Skills Councils (SSCs) to work closely with employers to develop and co-finance relevant skills and training solutions. This report provides early evidence of the effectiveness of this new approach. Its findings will inform the UK Commission’s decisions for the future management of employer-led skills projects and will be of help to those who bid for future investments that are employer led, innovative and sustainable. In Phase 1 of the EIF programme, around £5 million of investment was awarded to support 14 projects. This included six pre-existing Women and Work projects and eight ‘innovation’ projects to build the capacity of sectors to address identified skill needs. The investment period ran from June 2011 to March 2012. The commissioning model for the EIF Phase 1 innovation projects was based on SSCs bidding competitively for investment. The bid process required employers in each sector to make a substantial commitment (a cash or in-kind contribution) to evidence active support for the proposed skills solution. This model would go on to be used (with some adaptations) in subsequent EIF rounds and in the similar Growth and Innovation Fund (GIF) programme. By the end of 2012, the UK Commission had invested £94 million across 112 EIF and GIF projects, attracting £80 million of employer investment. The qualitative evaluation of EIF Phase 1 provides an early insight into the operation of the UK Commission’s investment model. It followed projects from the later stages of EIF delivery (in January to March 2012) to around 9-12 months beyond the investment phase (with follow-up from December 2012 to March 2013). As such, it provides important insight into the sustainability of UK Commission investments and lessons on how sector bodies and their partners can effectively prepare for the transition beyond EIF or GIF investment. The research was based on four longitudinal case studies with a sample of EIF Phase 1 innovation projects, plus telephone interviews with staff in the other seven SSCs managing EIF Phase 1 projects. It also included programme-level interviews with the UK Commission and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS).

In a context of high unemployment, the share of recruitment projects deemed "difficult" increased considerably by French firms in recent years, from 32.4% to 44.4% between 2015 and 2018 [1]. Insufficient training of candidates and lack of skills are among the most often cited by employers for reasons explain this paradox. Some studies suggest as well as the French education system fails to meet the needs of the labor market. [2] Given the real gap between supply and demand for labor, the analysis can not however be limited to point out the shortcomings of the candidates. It must also focus on the ability of companies to identify, mobilize and develop the skills of their employees. [3] This "talent management" has several advantages: it promotes the hiring profiles that businesses need, it helps to better absorb technological or economic shocks and finally it accompanies changes in work organization. Yet only a quarter of private sector companies undertake systematically in a skills management approach, with marked differences related mainly to the size of the company and the industry. [googletranslate_en]

This report examines skills and performance challenges facing the advanced manufacturing sector with an emphasis on the mix of skills needed in specific occupations, as well as employer awareness of and engagement with National Occupational Standards (NOS). This project forms part of the Sector Insights research undertaken by the UK Commission for Employment and Skills (UKCES). The overall aim of the programme is to examine skills and performance challenges across a range of industry sectors of critical importance for the UK economy. This study focuses on five key occupations that are prevalent in advanced manufacturing industries, and which represent a cross-section of skills levels: production managers and directors in manufacturing; biological scientists and biochemists; production and process engineers; metal working production and maintenance fitters; assemblers of electric and electronic products.

For many years the European Union’s growth model has been to find new markets for the products and services it is able to produce cheaper and better than most other countries. This model is under pressure. The number of under-exploited markets is shrinking, while new competitors emerge quickly, challenging the comparative advantage of the EU even in higher value-added goods and services. To secure growth and jobs in Europe, it is likely to be necessary to move to a new growth model built on developing emerging sectors with high value added. But in which sectors can Europe grow, and what economic policies would work? We propose a general approach that can be used to prioritise policies based on quantitatively localising sectors and regions with measurable growth potential. Sectors can be identified based on recent and expected growth of their global markets and the technology dynamics. We assess the potential of countries to excel in these emerging sectors based on their current export specialisation in this sector. This revealed comparative advantage indicates whether a country is better able than others to compete in this particular field. But even if a country is not yet specialised in a certain sector it might develop a comparative advantage over time, especially if the sector is based on rapid innovation. We thus propose to identify whether countries are particularly specialised in innovating in the identified sector based on patent data. Finally, certain sectors have commonalities. Even if a country is currently not good at exporting and patenting in a certain sector, it might easily acquire this capability if it is strong in nearby sectors. So, we propose to also investigate the strength of countries in sectors found to be close to the identified sector, as a proxy for whether the country might have the potential to develop a comparative advantage in the identified sector. Given global decarbonisation concerns, the wide array of low-carbon technologies offers significant growth potential. Some EU countries have already been able to develop a comparative advantage in wind turbines and electric vehicles, though the EU is less effective at exporting solar panels and batteries. Based on patenting activities we, however, see some potential – maybe not for entire countries but for some regions – to further specialise in all of these four low-carbon technologies. A regional overview is valuable because it can help in targeting public investment (e.g. in infrastructure, research and education) to enable development in the most promising sectors/regions.

Going digital—leveraging digital technologies to connect organizations, people, and processes—leads to changes in strategy that can reshape a company or disrupt an industry. In this report, we describe the skills a digital leader needs (think digital and business knowledge, start-up mentality) and examine the relative merits of positioning various functional heads as your company’s digital leader.

This paper reviews policies to strengthen Germany’s productivity growth and prepare for changes in labour markets brought about by new technologies. This paper also discusses how social protection and the bargaining framework should be reformed for the future of work. Germany enjoys a relatively high labour productivity level, but productivity growth has been modest in recent years. There is room to boost productivity growth by accelerating the diffusion of new technologies throughout the economy. Vigorous entrepreneurship and innovation by small and medium enterprises are key for such technology diffusion while strong broadband and mobile networks widen the scope of data-intensive technologies that can be exploited to increase productivity. Widespread use of new technologies will bring about significant changes in skill demand and work arrangements. As in many countries, Germany saw a decline in the share of middle-skilled jobs in employment. A relatively high share of jobs is expected to be automated or undergo significant changes in task contents as a result of technological change. New technologies are also likely to increase individuals engaging in new forms of work, such as gig work intermediated by digital platforms. Such workers are less covered by public social safety nets such as unemployment insurance than regular employment.

The 2017 Symposium invites countries to examine the crossroads at which the relevance and impact of career development interact with the significant changes occurring in their labour markets and to explore constructive and impactful career development responses. Countries are expected to develop a Country Paper in which the following four themes will be addressed: Theme 1- Understanding how work opportunities are changing. Theme 2- Ensuring that content and delivery of career development programs and services are relevant. Theme 3- Improving career practitioner training and practice. Theme 4- Reforming career services in education and labour to focus on career competencies and successful transitions.