A young guest in Rigi Kaltbad, central Switzerland, befriends Pepper. During a pilot project last December, Pepper provided tourist information about routes, food and drink options and things to see.
Keystone
Nine out of ten employers in Switzerland say they are planning to maintain – or even increase – staff numbers over the next couple of years in order to remain competitive in an age of massive automation.
Digitalisation will create more jobs than it dismantles, according to the study “Skills Revolution 2.0External link” by international recruitment company Manpower.
“While some tasks will disappear, technology and digitalisation will change certain jobs and create new ones,” said Leif Agnéus, head of Manpower Switzerland.
“Companies increasingly need skilled workers in information and communications technology (ICT) and workers who are prepared to adapt and constantly learn.”
Agnéus said the greatest challenge for employees in the digital age would be “nurturing their curiosity and constantly developing their skills in order to guarantee their employability”.
So-called soft skills – social, personal and interdisciplinary competences – are in great demand and the hardest to find, the authors wrote. Equally important, they said, were uniquely human qualities such as empathy, curiosity, reasoning, the desire to learn and the ability to form relationships and solve problems.
“These skills and emotional intelligence complement technology and minimise the risk of being replaced by a machine,” Agnéus said.
The study
The Manpower study was carried out in October 2017 by market researchers Infocorp.
A total of 19,718 employers in six sectors in 42 countries were asked about the effect of automation of the job market.
Popular Stories
More
Life & Aging
Switzerland no longer wants to foot the bill for ‘suicide tourism’
As a Swiss Abroad, how do you feel about the emergence of more conservative family policies in some US states?
In recent years several US states have adopted more conservative policies on family issues, abortion and education. As a Swiss citizen living there, how do you view this development?
Switzerland to collect data from non-Schengen visitors
This content was published on
The data of travellers from non-Schengen countries will be automatically recorded at the borders of member countries, also Switzerland.
Swiss air traffic controller in red after year of breakdowns
This content was published on
Swiss air traffic controller Skyguide ended 2024, a year marked by repeated breakdowns, with a loss of almost CHF19 million.
Ex-FIFA boss Blatter declares innocence in appeal trial
This content was published on
Former FIFA boss Joseph 'Sepp' Blatter has opened his defence at a Swiss appeal trial which is hearing allegations of fraud.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
AI has ‘enormous’ potential to transform health sector
This content was published on
Big data and artificial intelligence (AI) are a “force for good” which could transform the health sector, say experts gathered in Geneva.
This content was published on
Activists seeking to persuade nations to ban so-called killer robots say they are cautiously optimistic about talks on the future of such weapons.
Businesses hail digital revolution in the classroom
This content was published on
economiesuisse says digitalisation will result in a radical change in how schools teach, adding that more individual support should be possible.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.