Many in the labour movement fear that automation and robotics will replace human workers. And there will be some of that.
But in so doing, other jobs will be created and the probability that the net employment rate would go up instead of down is high.
Of course different skills will be necessary, but man is endowed with some ten billion neurons and hence learning is possible at any and all ages.
Recently, one of the students in Design and Manufacturing programme, of which I am the head, developed and implemented an automated procedure for placing the cork covers in bottles in the assembly line of a well-known manufacturing outfit.
The productivity of that line consequently significantly improved. And oh yes, the tedious manual drudgery associated with the process is now a thing of the past. This was his final year design project, for partial fulfilment of the requirements for his BASc degree in manufacturing and design at UTT.
This is an approach that I practised at the personal level for the 26 years I spent as a member of the academic staff at UWI. The institution, however, clung to the ivory tower approach. Being offered an opportunity to be part of building just such an institution, one that will be responsive and relevant to the needs of industry, I naturally resigned my tenured position at UWI and joined UTT. The use of the final year and MSc projects to fulfil both the academic requirements and industry needs, as practised by many universities, became institutionalised.
In pursuance of this, innovative, applied research in robotics and automation in manufacturing, agricultural production and biomedical engineering, built upon the foundation of design principles and practice, flourished. Several patents were obtained and some students actually turned their projects into stepping stones for the formation of new companies. It would be reflective of the objective reality to say that UTT was starting to fulfil its stated mandate; sorely needed for the economic diversification of the country.
Unfortunately, very poor and unsuitable academic leadership at the highest level over the past few years has ensured that this blossoming flower of a relevant programme descended into a withered state. This represents a profound multidimensional tragedy for the Design and Manufacturing programme was created to serve as the axle of the chariot of innovation and entrepreneurship for which the university was purposefully designed and established.
Universities serve as the tip of the spear of the industrial diversification thrust. The blunting of the innovative and entrepreneurial design tip has put in jeopardy, the promising possibilities for creating new companies and jobs and the country transitioning into a knowledge-based economy.
The full potential of the excellent work done in skills training arena may not be realised as new companies may not be formed fast enough to employ the available graduates. The coming National Innovation System framework may also very well be handicapped.
For the tipping point of the diversification effort to occur, a fulcrum is needed. Students of basic physics and life, or anyone who ever sat on a see-saw, would know that a well-designed functional pivot is essential. This is also true in leadership. As was indicated in a previous article, the founding provost of UTT, was a visionary, capable and highly-respected and experienced academic leader who was and still is involved in establishing institutions internationally. He inspired both the academic and corporate staff to accomplish a very difficult task in quite a short time.
In this column evidence was given of the critical role universities have played in the economic development of regions and countries.
Visionary, capable leadership at the universities is absolutely needed.