Being labelled a techie used to be an impediment to advancement, but by 2010 technical skills will be more highly prized than ever, according to a study by management consultants Deloitte.
According to the report, "Eye to the Future — How Technology, Media and Telecommunications Advances Could Change the Way We Live in 2010", technology will continue to change the workplace and give an edge to those employees who are able to master and manage it.
"More and more, the ability to get things done is expected to depend on the ability to understand and use increasingly complex technology," said the report. "Those with a greater degree of technological literacy may find themselves moving up the corporate hierarchy more quickly than those without."
One of the areas where technology will become ever more evident is in cars, which will come equipped with more tools to improve remote working.
"By 2010 workers may select their car partly on the basis of the range of work tools provided," suggested Deloitte. "Desired features may include technology that can read out incoming emails to the driver; allow the driver to dictate responses; permit the driver to set up meetings, update 'to-do' lists and write short memos."
But despite the increasing importance of technical literacy, real technical skills will continue to be in short supply unless action is taken now, the report warned.
"Many nations may be facing employment crisis by 2010, with the most acute shortages being in IT workers. Companies, governments and employment authorities should consider acting sooner rather than later to ensure that investments in technology are matched by investments in skills," said Deloitte.
The wide-ranging report takes a "day in the life" perspective on technology in 2010, beginning with travel and moving through to the impact on work and finally entertainment.
Despite the rise of devices such as smartphones and PDAs, Deloitte believes the PC will continue to be the most popular computing device for businesses. The report forecasts that PC take-up will continue to grow between now and 2010: the relatively mature markets of the United States, Europe and Asia-Pacific are expected to add 150 million new PCs, while developing economies are expected to add 566 million.
But the increase in the number of PCs being shipped will mean the industry will have to take a more responsible attitude to recycling, according to Paul Lee, research director at Deloitte. "Lack of components could be an important factor in the future. We have already seen Airbus buying up five or six years' worth of titanium, and computer manufactures may encounter similar shortages," said Lee.
The report also looked into the issue of mobile and remote working and concluded that the number of employees with always-on mobile email is forecast to rise from the current millions to at least tens of millions by 2010.
The report states that by 2008, 41 million corporate employees globally may spend at least one day a week teleworking, and 100 million will work from home at least one day a month.
Talkback
This work is nothing new. Professor Richard Skase predicted very similar things in his book "Britain in 2010" published in 2000.
Not exactly rocket science, this.
Oh yeah, by 2010 technical skills will be highly sought after and respected... in INDIA and CHINA.
This article goes completely against common sense. Most people have difficulty walking and chewing gum at the same time. Having someone drive at breakneck speeds and try to dictate an e-mail will only end up in disaster.
"helped in part by more intelligent cars"
What planet does this man live on, the car I drive will never make me a better techie. Most REAL techies I know don't drive smart cars, they like old vintage cars. Being able to read email on the road will not make you a more efficiant person. Being able to leave work at work and being able work 100% where you are there will make a difference. If you spend all your time on work related matters, your productivity will go way down.
Remember people, the idea is to enjoy life, not to work 10h days.
Even if we were to start churning out techies, it doesn't always mean you get a good techie in the end. As an industry run by totally disconnected morons that could hookup their own dvd players, the approach is taken as if it's solely a matter of a college education and voila!, a techie is created.
It isn't. The physical side of the techie industry is closer to a skilled trade without the same attention to skills development that, an example, a plumbers apprentice would have to endure.
Lots of folks wander out of the two year degrees, 6 month degrees, four year degrees and are not neccessarily skilled.
Personnally I don't hire anyone under the five to seven year mark because they don't have the mindset to be a practicing techie. In juniors there are some technical skills, a certification or two and lots of energy. Unfortunately no soft skills and lack of depth of understanding different environments hurt junior techies. Some things off the top of my head from my experience; the inability to tell a client "no", keeping track of time so they get paid, preparing site reports, charging for their time, stop telling the client to F#%k off and curb the language on site. Most of the times, the only role models they come with is the bastard operator from hell or a dilbert character.
With a intermediate or a senior, I don't have to train them, the knuckles have already been rapped. They understand what it is to be an IT contractor, how to conduct themselves and how to deliver something. Time and experience bring the necessary skills to be successful when doing contract work or for that matter any IT work.
It's weird that somehow people wouldn't trust an 3 year apprentice plumber to fix a building system's water works. However when it comes down to massive enterprise databases, mail systems, payroll and the systems that run the water works. Having a tech degree/cert and little or no experience is all you need.