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Special Report

UPSKILLING PANIC

SPREADING COUNTRYWIDE

Revolutionary capital-intensive AI technologies and robots are
spreading fear of lay-offs and part-time employment for workers tardy
about re-skilling and upgrading their skills. The message is going out to

all employees from executive suites downwards: upskill or else

Dilip Thakore

W ITH THE INVENTION OF ment of economic slowdown and lower hiring, IT profes-

sionals should focus on upskilling. According to Govil, the
a bewildering mix of new
IT and ITES (IT enabled services) industry has reached a
technologies — AI, machine
level of “sanity” on the issue of salary increases. Increments
learning, blockchain, robot-
will depend on individuals’ reskilling and upskilling them-
ics, bio-medicine, green en-
ergy, EV (electric vehicles)
trition was high and people were being hired at 30 percent
and new sustainable cli-
premiums. That will not happen now. Now, niche skills like
mate technologies — mak- selves. “In 2021, people had a lot of opportunities, our at-
ing headlines in the print, generative AI and cybersecurity will get a premium,” said
electronic and social media, pervasive fear of redundancy Govil.
and obsolescence is spreading countrywide. In corporate Govil’s remarks are indicative of corporate sentiment
offices across the country, managements are discussing the across the spectrum of India Inc. With competition and
impact of disruptive new technologies as they struggle to re- inflation exerting pressure on margins, top managements
main competitive with domestic and off-shore competitors have to improve employee productivity and can’t afford to
in markets slowed by global inflation and falling consumer have change-resistant employees on their payrolls. The best
demand. The message is going out to all employees from companies are signing up their most promising managers
executive suites downwards: upskill or else. Revolutionary for company-paid executive programmes offered by top-
capital-intensive AI technologies and robots are spreading ranked B-schools in India and abroad. Less favoured man-
fear of lay-offs and part-time employment for workers tardy agers are expected to sign up for after hours and week-end
about re-skilling and upgrading their skills. programmes to remain contemporary and acquire addition-
Speaking to a Times of India reporter (June 12), Sau- al skills and apply them pronto, to avoid being sidelined
rabh Govil, head of human resources at IT behemoth or sent away to remote regional offices. This sudden fear
Wipro Ltd, warned that in the current business environ- of obsolescence is being experienced even on the factory

54 EDUCATIONWORLD JULY 2023