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