Marvin OnumonuUp to three million jobs could disappear in the UK by 2035, mainly due to artificial intelligence (AI) and automation, according to a National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER) report funded by the Nuffield Foundation.
The research found jobs in administrative, secretarial, customer service and machine operations are declining faster than expected, with between one and three million at risk.
The data was part of a five-year programme, The Skills Imperative 2035: Essential skills for tomorrow’s workforce, which set out to identify changes in the labour market, the skills needed and who will be most affected.
Six essential employment skills were highlighted – communication, collaboration, problem-solving, organising, planning and prioritising, creative thinking and information literacy.
The report found shortages in these skills are likely to get worse unless action is taken.
Additionally, the research found the overall number of jobs is expected to grow by 2035, but most growth will be in professional and associate professional roles, such as science, engineering and legal jobs, which use the six essential employment skills.
Jude Hillary, the programme’s principal investigator and co-head of UK policy and practice at NFER, said: “The time has come to tackle this critical challenge head on, and we all have a role to play.
“Meeting projected skills shortages means a collective response from government, employers and across the education and skills systems.
“We need to strengthen support in the early years, tackle inequalities in schools, strengthen pathways into growing jobs, and rebuild the adult skills system to deliver growth that benefits everyone.”
Josh Hillman, director of education at the Nuffield Foundation, said: “The Skills Imperative 2035 is our most significant investment ever in education research.
“With accelerating labour market changes impacting both the jobs available in the future and the skills and qualifications needed to do them, its findings could not be more relevant or better timed.
“The report’s focus is on what are now widely recognised as the essential employment skills that underpin employability and are increasingly sought after in the evolving world of work.”
Hillman added: “It makes a major contribution to our understanding of how to better value, develop, and support these skills.
“Crucially, it also provides the education system, employers, and policymakers with evidence to help ensure the workforce can continue to build and use them effectively in a dynamic labour market.”
