The way we work is changing rapidly, driven by technology, demographic change and new attitudes. Here are four changes that we predict will change the way IT professionals work over the next decade.
1. The rise of the machines will create jobs
There has been a lot of talk about how artificial intelligence, machine learning and robotics have the potential to automate roles and may potentially make some jobs redundant in the future. While some jobs may be automated, increased use of technology may actually increase the demand for people with skills in a wide range of areas from systems architecture to network administration, project management and software development. This is because humans are actually the brains behind the machines, and they will continue to be in high demand as we find more ways for machines to help us improve our day to day lives.
2. More people will freelance
The gig economy has been on the rise and there’s no sign of it stopping any time soon. It’s estimated that 4.1 million Australians freelance, either on a full or part-time basis. As technology changes quickly, so do the skills that businesses need from workers in the IT sector. The rapid speed of change, along with increasing demand from individuals to have more flexibility in their work/life balance, is fuelling the rise in freelance opportunities in the industry. Over the next decade, businesses will also become more sophisticated in how they manage a freelance workforce and this will provide freelancers with more opportunities and challenges to develop their skills and live the life they choose.
3. Skills that are in demand will change
While the IT sector is expected to continue to grow, with 100,000 new jobs expected to be created by 2023, the type of roles that will be in-demand will change.
Highly technical and specialist skills are on the rise, with employers already struggling to find talent in the areas of data science, cybersecurity and machine learning.
Some of these skills have the potential to increase other roles in the workforce in the future, for example, research estimates that focusing on cybersecurity could increase business investment by 5.5% and add potentially 60,000 jobs to the Australian economy by 2030.
4. The structure of the IT organisation will become decentralised
Decision making has traditionally been top-down in IT organisations, but this is expected to move towards a more decentralised model. As businesses increasingly adopt agile methodology and seek new ways to innovate rapidly, they will abandon traditional organisational structures creating new opportunities for workers to expand their skill base and take on leadership roles.
To keep up with the changing times, partner with an agency who understands where the IT workforce is heading in the future.
