Last update: 15/11/2021

The speed at which changes are taking place in today's society means that in just a decade there will be new jobs that are currently unheard of but which, as highlighted in the World Economic Forum together with the Cognizant Center for the Future of Work (CJoF), will be essential for business and for the training of employees who will perform the jobs.  

If there is any lesson to be learnt from the pandemic, it is that we need to prepare for change and to keep learning constantly. It is estimated that 3% to 14% of the global workforce will need to change occupational category by 2030 due to automation, artificial intelligence and digitisation, according to the study Jobs lost, jobs gained: workforce transitions in a time of automation, from McKinsey Global Institute. 

3%-14%

of the global workforce will need to change occupational category by 2030

3%-14%

of the global workforce will need to change occupational category by 2030

In addition, data from the report The Future of Jobs Report 2020 from the World Economic Forum indicates that the proportion of basic skills that will change in the next five years is 40%. That is, only 60% of an employee's knowledge will still be required for the performance of their duties in 2027.

This highlights the need to support training and the necessity of continuous learning throughout our lives and professional careers, which are constantly evolving. This is called “reskilling” which means professional recycling and “upskilling” which means learning new skills; two areas in which Banco Santander is working hard in order to offer this type of training, not only to its employees, but to society in general. Indeed, it does so by promoting different scholarship programs, within its wide training offer, which aim to provide the additional skills and knowledge necessary to promote the employability of young students and also of professionals already working in the industry. Technology, languages, digital tools, soft skills… these are just some of the issues that are promoted and always entrusted to prestigious institutions.  

The 10 professions of the future

Returning to the CJoF data, looking ahead to 2030, here are 10 of the professions that are still very new but that, in some cases, are already beginning to become highly sought after. By 2030, these jobs will be extremely popular and many people can start training and preparing for them right now.

  1. Work from Home Facilitator: if the pandemic has changed anything, it is that the figures have gone from just 5% of companies with working from home policies to this kind of work becoming not only a daily occurrence, but also becoming something required by employers when it comes to changing job positions. But this reality has new rules and the concept behind the job role for managing remote work and developing it is beginning to emerge.
     
  2. Fitness Commitment Counsellor: according to the Cognizant Jobs of the Future (CJoF) index, this role has grown by 28.7% in 2021 and it is expected to be someone who, as a result of a more sedentary lifestyle caused by the pandemic and working at home, will be in charge of watching over and providing employees with a series of predictive and preventive measures.
     
  3. Smart Home Design Manager: another consequence of the pandemic. Many people were forced to work in places that had not been designed for working at home. With remote work becoming the norm, this will be an essential element for both reforming and constructing new homes with spaces dedicated to home offices, corners designed for the correct placement of routers, soundproofing, screens for privacy during video calls, etc.
     
  4. XR Immersion Counsellor: the next step after remote work is the development of virtual offices and meeting environments in 3D as well as digital spaces for training and collaboration, with platforms such as Strivr or Mursion. 
     
  5. Workplace Environment Architect: although we are returning to normality, the architecture of post-pandemic offices is being rethought with the well-being of the employees being prioritised and with a design centred on human beings and how the building itself can influence them.
     
  6. Algorithm Bias Auditor: with the acceleration of the use of the internet for almost everything after 2020, the competitive advantage of digital companies and their algorithms has increased. However, this has also prompted increased legal scrutiny on data, how it is constructed and accumulated. That is why one of the figures set to emerge is somebody who will be responsible for ensuring that data is used properly.
     
  7. Data Detective: The role of the data scientist is one of the most sought after positions at the moment, and this trend is expected to continue in the future, with a growth of 42% in the first quarter of 2021. Looking ahead to 2030, a new role will appear in this area, known as a data detective, who will be in charge of investigating the "mysteries" of Big Data in order to reach conclusions.
     
  8. Cyber Calamity Forecaster: while the biological threat of COVID-19 impacted on the healthcare system, cyber networks suffered their own “pandemic” in the form of increasingly sophisticated cyberattacks using computer malware. The need to be able to prevent this type of situation is already being felt with the demand for this position increasing by 28% during 2021.
     
  9. Tidewater Architect: climate change and rising sea levels is already an ongoing challenge for civil engineering. This job will be performed by someone who works with nature and not against it, designing projects capable of adapting to these factors and minimising their environmental impact. The demand for this job role increased by 37% in 2021.
     
  10. Human-machine team manager: we are set to encounter an increasing number of robots in the workplace and they will be part of hybrid teams in which human-machine collaboration represents a paradigm shift. According to the CJoF index, vacancies for positions such as robotics technicians have increased by around 50% this year.

It is difficult to predict exactly how global employment markets will recover after the virus, but both those who run organisations and those who are being trained should take good note of these professions because that is where part of the future (and indeed even the present) demand for jobs is going to be directed. This will allow organisations to gain a competitive advantage and job seekers to gain professional career development.

If you want to find out about and work on your main skills and strengths in order to find out which professions you can or you might be able to develop further or if you want to turn your career around, do not miss out on the employment consultant offered by Santander SmartBank, Smart Talent Scanner.

If you are looking for training courses that complement or increase your knowledge of some of the skills or knowledge most demanded by companies at the moment, go to the website

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