Pro Installer September 2017 - Issue 54 | Page 51

SEPTEMBER 2017 | 51 Skills Read online at www.proinstaller.co.uk RECRUITMENT HUGE DEMAND FOR TEMP STAFF Peace Recruitment, a recruitment consultancy for the built environment, has launched a temp division under the leadership of Alison Blake - as a result of ‘a huge upsurge’ in demand for freelance and contract staff in the construction sector. Alison joins from systems will replace manual work (such as bookkeeping) and automate complex and multifaceted processes”. Across these storied old professions, there are quite a few tasks that are under threat. It’s hard not to be slightly pleased that these ‘fat cat’ professions are fac- ing the risks that so many industrial workers have had to cope with in the past! The good news for the trade The great news is that studies see the trade profes- sions as least likely to be hit by robots. The new gen- eration of robots are good at one thing, but they are very poor at being flexible. The mixture of knowledge, skills and dexterity need- ed in most trades is well beyond the capabilities of both today’s and tomorrow’s robots. The saying ‘no two jobs are the same’ sums the robotics and AI will make a ‘ career as an installer even better than it is today ’ situation up. It also shows why the most likely places where robots might be em- ployed is in large scale new builds where there is more consistency and repetition of tasks. That’s where the brick-laying robot might find its use. It certainly won’t be climbing onto the roof to re-point the chimney stack or going into awk- ward cupboards to fit a new boiler. Robots capable of replac- ing what most people in the trade do on a day to day ba- sis would need to be hugely flexible. These simply don’t exist today and it looks unlikely they will for a con- siderable time. The huge va- riety of knowledge, problem solving and physical skill that epitomises great trade people is very hard for a machine to emulate. What’s next? The most encouraging thing is that the applica- tion of robots in the trade space will most likely be to get rid of some of the most back-breaking parts of the job. Slightly intelligent robots should be able to lift and manoeuvre heavy objects into place. This will actually raise skill levels, with the grunt work being replaced. It’s a hugely better story for the trades than for instance, a cab driver. These people are already seeing a major impact from tech- nology. Uber which allows anyone to call a cab on their mobile and then directs the nearest Uber Cab to them has made ‘The Knowledge’ completely redundant. Things will only get worse as completely self-driving cars arrive on the scene. There is a new industrial revolution on the horizon and it is likely to have as big an impact as the first one. It won’t eliminate the human race, but it may re- place some jobs, while gen- erating new ones. The good news is that for installers it is the most back-breaking and boring jobs that will go and the trade industry overall isn’t going to be badly impacted. If anything, robotics and AI will make a career as an installer even better than it is today. About the author Benjamin Dyer is CEO and co-founder of Powered Now. Pow