A report from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) stated that 14% of UK workers fell into a high risk category where jobs could be entirely replaced by technology - and they have warned that the US and UK are among countries that need to do better on digital up-skilling.

According to new research, more than one in ten workers in the UK are at such high risk of seeing their roles automated that they require up to a year’s training to secure a safer occupation. An additional 2.6% required more than three years of training to find an entirely new role.

The OECD warns that there is a widespread global crisis when it comes to getting the skills in place to thrive in a digital economy.

Despite the fact that governments and organisations have pledged to tackle the problem, only a few countries have managed to - with Belgium, Denmark, Finland, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway and Sweden being the nations best placed for the future.

The OECD report - Thriving in a Digital World - states:

‘Digitalisation presents immense potential to boost productivity and improve well-being. It can give people more power over what they learn, where and when they work, and how they engage in society. However, it can also increase inequalities if some people or regions are left behind. By improving the skills of their populations, countries can ensure the new technologies translate into better outcomes for all. This requires a comprehensive and co-ordinated policy intervention, with skills-related policies as the cornerstone of this package.’

However, just focusing on digital and technical skills is not an appropriate plan of action, as workers in the future need training in cognitive and socio-emotional skills - providing the human x-factor not offered by their robot colleagues.

At the Paris launch of the report, Angel Gurría - OECD Secretary General - said:

“A well-rounded skillset is critical to unlocking the benefits of digitalisation. However, the OECD Survey of Adult Skills (PIAAC) reveals that 15% of adults lack basic digital skills, and 13% lack basic digital, numeracy and problem-solving skills. This is really scary, as citizens without basic skills are at risk of being left behind by the digital transformation. Moreover, on average in the OECD, 6.6% of young graduates have low literacy and numeracy skills. But this share goes up to almost 20% in some countries. This means that holding a tertiary degree does not always guarantee a high level of skills. New technologies are changing the way we carry out our jobs. In the digital age, workers must be mobile and able to retrain and upskill along the course of their lives. Our estimates suggest that 14% of jobs (on average) across the OECD face a high risk of being automated and many more jobs – 32% – are expected to undergo substantial changes in terms of the quantity and quality of their tasks. It is imperative that workers retrain and upskill to face these enormous challenges. However, workers in occupations at high risk of automation and the low-skilled are less likely to participate in on the job training than other workers.”

He added:

“In our rapidly digitalising world, skills make the difference between staying ahead of the wave and falling behind. Businesses have a key role to play in ensuring that employees upskill and reskill, adapting to the changing demands of the labour market. By improving our skills systems, we can ensure that today’s technological revolution will improve lives for all.” 

Amber Rudd - Work and Pensions Secretary - recently called for a new government focus on helping people better themselves in work, enabling them to move to higher paid, higher-skilled roles.

At the Recruitment and Employment Confederation, she said;

“Automation is driving the decline of banal and repetitive tasks. So the jobs of the future are increasingly likely to be those that need human sensibilities, with personal relationships, qualitative judgement and creativity coming to the fore. And there is a clear role for government to help people take advantage of these changes, and to help businesses create high-quality jobs.”