Artificial Intelligence could lead to job creation across the UK

National World - LocalTV

Recent headlines have focused on layoffs in some of the world’s biggest tech firms and growing concern over AI replacing jobs across the UK. However, new research shows the perception couldn’t be further from the truth with at least 40% of businesses in the energy, health, transport, industrial, finance and tech sectors seeking to increase their headcount by the end of the year.  The data shows the over half (59%) of UK employers believe AI will create more jobs and will benefit the workforce. This comes as almost half (49%) of IT employers in the UK are looking to hire in Q4, and are looking to use all forms of hiring to plug skills gaps; using permanent talent (52%), temporary talent (49%) and gig workers (34%) over the next 12 months, highlighting an encouraging landscape for jobseekers.  With eight in ten (80%) UK employers saying they are unable to find the talent they need when recruiting this year, with a shortage in IT at a 17-year high, recruiters are keen to showcase how transferable skills are in demand in Tech with employers looking for candidates who demonstrate skills in communication, collaboration and teamwork (36%), and critical thinking and analysis (30%).  Around a quarter of employers (26%) in this sector are also looking to hire those who demonstrate skills such as curiosity and active learning, creativity and problem-solving.   The news comes as Experis are set to connect 15,000 skilled tech professionals with thousands of tech and IT roles across the country at their ‘Disrupt the Tech Layoffs’ events in Bristol, Solihull, Manchester, Edinburgh and London, with jobs in the tech sector expected to be a third higher than this time last year.

Transcript

00:00 A lot of people are scared of what AI is going to do to our industry and whether it's going

00:06 to lead to negative things.

00:09 But we have surveyed a large number of UK tech employers and 59% of them believe that

00:17 it will lead to an increase in jobs, not a decrease in jobs.

00:22 Because we have heard these stories that humans won't be needed so much and we'll perhaps

00:26 go to living a life of a three day working week, so you don't think that will happen?

00:33 I don't think it'll happen and more importantly, our clients and the employers in the UK also

00:40 don't think that that will happen.

00:42 So the research highlights a significant challenge in finding this talent.

00:47 Can you share insights on why this talent gap exists and what steps have been taken

00:51 to address it?

00:52 Yeah, yeah, absolutely.

00:53 Look, it's a really interesting time because we've seen a boom in hiring for tech roles

01:00 across the last two years.

01:02 And a lot of that has been off the back of tech to-do lists having to be covered post-pandemic

01:09 and post-lockdown as people catch up.

01:12 So we've seen a large boom and a large number of people come into work.

01:16 And what we're now seeing is that some of that artificial hire is coming down, but at

01:20 the same time, there are some very specific tech skills that the UK is finding hard to

01:25 find.

01:26 Now, with particular respect to AI, that's because it's a brand new emerging technology

01:32 and people haven't explored yet how best to apply that technology.

01:37 So the experience isn't there.

01:39 The skills, the soft skills, the ability to problem solve and use technology, they are

01:44 there.

01:45 They are there in the UK, but what we don't have is the hard experience of how to use

01:48 it and how to apply it.

01:50 So how can this be addressed then?

01:55 Everybody has, so candidates, contractors, freelancers, employers, do and have to have

02:03 an awareness that what they're looking for is transferable skills.

02:06 They're looking for problem solvers.

02:07 They're looking for leaders.

02:09 They're looking for people who can find their way through this.

02:12 Some are very concerned about the AI future.

02:16 Is it something that we should be embracing or should we have these fears?

02:21 I believe that we should be embracing it.

02:24 I think that so many, as I talk to clients, as I talk to candidates, it's about, AI quite

02:33 often makes jobs more simple.

02:35 In my role in our industry, using AI to be able to help write emails, help write copy,

02:42 help write training, and spending our time on the more complicated pieces of human interaction,

02:48 talking to candidates, helping people find jobs, helping people to upskill and reskill.

02:53 So to me, it will help us do our jobs as we go forward.

02:58 That's what most of our candidates and clients are saying.

03:00 [BLANK_AUDIO]

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