4IR and Future Jobs

By CTU Training Solutions · July 15, 2020 3:46 pm

Authored by: CTU Academic Team

Introduction  

CTU has always strived to provide quality education and training to our clients and Information Technology, being one of the departments, has evolved over the years. This evolution is inevitable because of the nature of the qualifications.  

New Technologies 

In our yearly programme review, our research has revealed some of the future technologies. Most of the future jobs are meant to address new technologies.  

1. Autonomous things– Autonomous things exist across five types: Robotics, Vehicles, Drones, Appliances and Agents. They use Artificial Intelligence capabilities to automate tasks.  
2. Augmented analytics– Given the amount of data that scientists need to analyze, businesses can miss key insights from hypotheses the data scientists don’t have the capacity to explore. This is where the aspect of augmented analytics comes in. augmented analytics identify hidden patterns while removing the personal bias 
3. Artificial Intelligence (AI) –AI refers to computer systems built to mimic human intelligence and perform tasks such as recognition of images, speech or patterns and decision making. AI can do these tasks faster and more accurately than humans. Business Tech predicted that by 2022, at least 40% of new application development projects will have AI co-developers on their team. 
4. Digital twins– A digital twin is a digital representation that mirrors a real-life object, process or system. Digital twins can also be linked to create twins of larger systems, such as a power plant or city (Gartner.com). Digital twins of an organization are emerging to create models of organizational process to enable real–time monitoring and drive improved process efficiencies.
5. Edge Computing– is a topology where information processing and content collection and delivery are placed closer to the sources of the information, with the idea that keeping traffic local will reduce latency. Currently, much of the focus of this technology is a result of the need for IoT systems to deliver disconnected or distributed capabilities into the embedded IoT world. (Gartner.com).This is the reason for Microsoft Azure and Amazon Web Services Cloud computing technologies.   
6. Immersive technologies –Through 2028, conversational platforms, which change how users interact with the world, and technologies such as augmented reality (AR), mixed reality (MR) and virtual reality (VR), which change how users perceive the world, will lead to a new immersive experience. AR, MR and VR show potential for increased productivity, with the next generation of VR able to sense shapes and track a user’s position and MR enabling people to view and interact with their world.  
7. Blockchain-It is a type of distributed ledger, an expanding chronologically ordered list of cryptographically signed, irrevocable transactional records shared by all participants in a network. Blockchain allows companies to trace a transaction and work with untrusted parties without the need for a centralized party (e.g.a bank). Blockchain could potentially lower costs, reduce transaction settlement times and improve cash flow.  
8. Digital ethics and privacy –Consumers have a growing awareness of the value of their personal information, and they are increasingly concerned with how it’s being used by public and private entities. Privacy is a concern and data in the cloud must be protected.  
9. Quantum Computing– Quantum computing is a type of nonclassical computing that is based on the quantum state of subatomic particles that represent information as elements denoted as quantum bits or “qubits.” This technology is widely used in medicine and optimization of pattern recognition. 
10. Machine Learning– It is a subset of AI. With machine learning, computers are programmed to learn to do something they are not programmed to do; they learn by discovering patterns and insights from data (SimplyLearn.com). Machine learning applications are used for data analytics, data mining and pattern recognition. On the consumer end, machine learning powers web search results, real-time ads and network intrusion detection.  

Future Jobs 

Several future jobs identified are being addressed by CTU qualifications. 

1. Data Architect – Ensure data solutions are built for performance and design analytics applications for multiple platforms. 
2. Business Intelligence (BI) Developer – BI developers design and develop strategies to assist business users in quickly finding the information they need to make better business decisions.  
3. Data Scientist – Find, clean, and organize data for companies. Data scientists will need to be able to analyse large amounts of complex raw and processed information to find patterns that will benefit an organization and help drive strategic business decisions. 
4. Data Engineer – Perform batch processing or real-time processing on gathered and stored data. Make data readable for data scientists.
5. Machine Learning Engineer – Develop machines and systems that can learn and apply knowledge without specific direction. 
6. Big Data Engineer – Handle large amounts of raw data and evaluate new data sources. They make sure data scientists understand the company’s major goals so they can put data to work in a way that achieves those objectives 
7. Machine Learning Engineer – Machine learning engineers are advanced programmers who develop AI machines and systems that can learn and apply knowledge. These professionals perform sophisticated programming, working with complex datasets and algorithms to train these systems.  
8. Cyber Security Analyst – Cybersecurity professionals are already in great demand, and that will continue, as attacks grow more sophisticated and technologies to fight them advance. The role will likely evolve to include more data and AI skills. 
9. Cloud Engineer – In the coming years, cloud engineers will develop solutions at a scale that are a mix of both in-house technology and outside systems — going beyond Amazon engineers working on AWS or Microsoft engineers working on Azure. 
10. App Developer – Application development involves the process, life cycle and creation of the software aimed at helping users complete a computer task or programme. Developers work closely with computer analysts and engineers in using languages such as Java, C++ or ORACLE to develop the necessary specifications for software. 
11. Business Intelligence (BI) Analyst – BI analysts gather data from many sources, including internal software, competitor information, and industry trends, to develop a sense of where the company stands in the industry and how they can both grow and cut costs. 
12. DevOps Engineer – As more app developers and business analysts come on board, DevOps teams will also need to be expanded to oversee and coordinate work between those groups. These professionals bring skills in development and project management that are required in many companies, even outside the context of software development. 

Mapping of Future Jobs vs CTU Qualifications 

Conclusion 

The concepts of future jobs have been always our focus when we review programmes yearly. We thrive to match our qualifications to address the demand of skills set in South Africa and the world at large. Therefore, our qualification content addresses a wide range of special areas that would fill the skills shortage in the IT industry.  

Sources

• https://interestingengineering.com/5-technology-trends-to-watch-in-2019 
• https://businesstech.co.za/news/banking/281631/top-10-technology-trends-for-2019/ 
• https://www.simplilearn.com/top-technology-trends-and-jobs-article 
• https://www.zdnet.com/article/the-10-it-jobs-that-will-be-most-in-demand-in-2020/ 
• https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/tag/perseverance 
• https://businesstech.co.za/news/business/206533/7-top-skills-in-demand-by-companies-in-south-africa/ 
• David, F. (1993). Strategic Management, 4th Ed. New York, NY: Macmillan Publishing Company.