Pandemic brings new normal

In 2007, Robert Johansen (PhD) suggested in his book, Get there early: Sensing the future to compete in the present, that the world was entering into a period of volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity (VUCA).
VUCA describes the turbulence and chaos, which brings so much uncertainty and complexities to existing operating systems, often compelling leaders to deal with the symptoms of the problems, while the underlying causes remain ambiguous.
In the past such were referred to as “wicked problems” as no one seemed to have solutions to problems caused by constant change realities.
Changes in technology, improvements in social and economic wellbeing of emerging middle class, globalisation, and so on, has imposed on organisations to adapt.
To merely survive now, organisations and societies need to adjust to constant “new normals” that VUCA imposes.
This year, the Covid-19 adds to VUCA and ushers in adjustment for yet another “new normal”.
Herein lies the need for our higher education and training sector to adjust.
The socioeconomic and work environment of the future is changing rapidly.
The causes for change are many, but I will only focus on two issues based on observations from the Covid-19 experience thus far.
First, technology obviously has made the world a small place largely through communication, travel, and business.
The Covid-19 experience has now added a new dimension to how technology is harnessed to improve businesses and service delivery.
Buying online, home deliveries, and virtual communication has now sustained hundreds of millions of people during lockdowns.
The good side of this is that businesses are realising that they can reduce rental and utility bills associated with physical onsite expenses and can reach clients directly at home.
Hence digital or ecommerce is on the increase to reach a contact-free market space, with conservative estimates by up to 80 per cent in developed economies (McKinesy Global Institute, 2020).
On the public service delivery side, schools and tertiary institutions are able to deliver lessons online and telemedicine platforms are increasingly used to provide medical services.
McKinsey also reports that by end of March 2020 there has been increases in telemedicine in Europe by 200 per cent, USA 50 per cent increase, as well as in Korea, China, and Australia.
All universities in Australia and elsewhere have now shifted their learning delivery online.
Second, technology and other changes, have now imposed on industries to restructure to meet changing consumer needs and behaviour to better position themselves in the marketplace.
We see similar changes but at a very slower phase and speed, in the public sector.
This alone presents new opportunities, as well as it eliminates the workplace requirements for which higher education and training sector is geared to meet.
Organisations now have the technology to improve efficiency and the Covid-19 has presented this opportunity for innovation, which will come at a huge cost to employment, to which we train our graduates for. Put simply, we are most likely training graduates for jobs that inevitably do not exist.
Before the Covid-19 pandemic, there was a progressive shift to automation in the workplace.
Brookings Institute reported in 2017 that an estimated 60 per cent of all jobs would see more than 30 per cent of their key tasks automated, affecting 400 to 800 million jobs around the world by 2030.
This will now be accelerated, both in numbers of jobs and the timeframe, given the ‘new normal’ after the Covid-19.
The key point being made here is for the tertiary education and training sector in PNG to reform the curriculum to meet the workplace requirements and skillsets required for/in the future.
A major shift on this will require, preparing (education and training) human resources with knowledge and skills as service providers than as employees for a workplace that is or has shifted enormously.
This requires how our institutions of higher learning and training operate using current technology, innovations, tools, and practices.
To this end, our institutions will do well to create a work and learning environment that emulates the real-world experiences.

George Bopi