UNIVERSITY VIEW
to make the UK more globally competitive and to increase the earning power of people.
Technology is a major factor in boosting productivity and hence the link between productivity and robots putting jobs at risk.
The key point is that there are globally-driven changes underway in how businesses and industry function and this creates rapidly escalating challenges for governments, schools, colleges, and universities.
In particular, it is largely the low skills jobs which will disappear but demand for higher skills will continue to increase.
Many countries are embracing these changes at pace. South Korea is proposing that about 70% of young people should proceed to higher education; the figure in Wales is currently less than half that and the lowest rate within the UK.
The good news is that these skills and productivity challenges are not a surprise and higher education has been adapting to help address them as an integral part of our evolution to meet the needs of the country. And how can we fulfil our commitment to prepare students “for a good career and a good life” if we do not respond to the expected future pattern of demand for skills?
I can give some examples from my own university. Ten years ago we decided to double the size of our School of Engineering. This was a bold move at the time because applications to study engineering in the UK had declined over many years.
But we had a highly rated School of Engineering and could see the demand for our graduates growing. Two years ago we moved Engineering into new high specification facilities with space for more than double the number of students. It was full on day one and we have been adding in additional facilities. Demand for our graduates has more than kept up. The world of automation and robots will have an unquestionable requirement for engineers!
The plans for Computer Science at Swansea were even bolder: to treble in size in a few years. This was partly triggered by discussions with a global telecommunications company which told us that they could not locate their European research and development centre in South Wales as Swansea and Cardiff Universities did not produce enough computer science graduates between then.
It was also driven by forecasts of the future voracious demand for computer scientists in all sectors of the economy.
Automation and robotics are software driven, as are artificial intelligence and effective use of “big data”. Our tripled in size Computer Science department will move into new, purpose-designed facilities in September this year.
However, science and technology are only part of the challenge. Management and leadership skills are equally important for driving productivity improvement.
We have been growing, and will continue to grow, our Management School. University Business and Management Schools in the UK have a reputation for being more theoretical than their counterparts in the USA, for example. This is being addressed in Swansea by increasing engagement with business and industry for students and within the curriculum.
I recognise the irony: through their research activities universities are helping to accelerate automation and globalisation but they are also helping to prepare students to thrive throughout their working life despite these changes.
Automation and globalisation are inevitable; coping with the consequences has to be planned if the UK and Wales is to compete successfully in the world. Universities in the UK recognise this.
Professor Richard B Davies is Vice Chancellor of Swansea University