ASSOCIATIONS
13
Spark your 4IR strategy – join
us at the Artisan 4.0 Summit!
BluLever Education is hosting The Artisan 4.0 Summit on
6 September 2019, to explore the role of the artisan in the
Fourth Industrial Revolution.
By IOPSA
The Fourth Industrial Revolution, 4IR, Industry
4.0. However you refer to it, it’s the topic every-
one’s talking about, and there’s a new commis-
sion or taskforce on it springing up every day.
But why is it so important? What’s it really all
about? And what does it mean for you?
Simply put, 4IR is the new digital and integrated era
of life and work into which we are entering. It has
to do with the increase in physical systems being
connected to the internet, and the rise of big data, AI
and automation.
It will influence the way we all work, as more and
more of the machines we use and interact with
become internet enabled. 4IR is driverless cars; it’s
automated credit scoring done by algorithms; it’s your
lighting systems being WiFi enabled and controlled by
your smartphone; it’s training in a virtual environment;
it’s 3D printing the parts you need on site in real
time. It will fundamentally change the way businesses
operate, allowing them to become increasingly
efficient at a scale not yet seen.
Changing technology, increased automation and
Artificial Intelligence will impact the very work we do.
The Fourth Industrial Revolution is already underway,
and it presents a plethora of opportunities, as well
as many pitfalls. As the world of work changes at an
ever-increasing pace, we have to jump on board, or be
left behind.
If we, as a country, as businesses and citizens, do
nothing, we will be left behind. By standing still, we
will move backwards as the world rushes forward into
the future ever faster around us. But if we embrace
this opportunity, and dive into 4IR with purpose and a
plan, there is the potential to leap forward further than
we ever expected.
BluLever believes that artisans are an essential
component of our future, and that we need to change
the way we think about and engage with artisans to
seize that future. Artisan roles are complex, they are
about problem solving and about understanding a
system and diagnosing what is happening within it.
These are roles that are incredibly difficult (and almost
September 2019 Volume 25 I Number 7
impossible) to automate, and thus will still be essential in
the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
Here are six reasons artisans are vital for our future:
1. Artisan roles are the hardest to fill globally;
2. Artisan-based businesses are struggling to find
well-qualified, highly skilled artisans;
3. The average age of an artisan is 55 years old – this
means our artisan population is ageing, and the
industry runs the risk of losing these vital skills;
4. Artisan skills lend themselves to being self-
employed – and we need more small businesses to
stimulate the economy;
5. Africa is facing rapid urbanisation over the next
50 years, and artisans will be vital to building the
infrastructure needed for this; and
6. SA has a shortfall of 40,000 artisans.
South Africa has a shortage of artisans, we need them in
order to continue developing our economy and building
infrastructure for the future, and their roles are not going
anywhere in the Fourth Industrial Revolution. While we
don’t know much about the hard skills we will need
for the Fourth Industrial Revolution, we do know that
problem-solving, creativity, critical thinking, collaboration
and communication will be essential. Some of these
are innate in artisan training today, while others need to
be built into training for the future. Artisans will need to
learn to be adaptable and flexible in a changing world,
and to update their skills accordingly. Artisans of the
future will need to be able to work with technology, but
they are unlikely to be replaced by it.
"South Africa
has a shortage
of artisans,
we need
them in order
to continue
developing
our economy
and building
infrastructure
for the
future."
The Fourth Industrial Revolution is here. We need to
start preparing for and embracing it, and we need to
do so with our artisans in mind. BluLever Education is
hosting the Artisan 4.0 Summit for this exact purpose.
The Summit is bringing together key stakeholders from
across the ecosystem to start the conversation about
what 4IR really means for artisans, and how to prepare
for it. In addition, the Summit will help to catalyse
responses to 4IR that you can get involved in. This is
your opportunity to explore Industry 4.0, learn from
others in the artisan ecosystem, and start preparing for
the future of artisans. PA
www.plumbingafrica.co.za