Over the past three decades, the advent of new modern technologies has necessitated the acquisition of new skillsets and expertise. Families hastened to educate, train and prepare their children in these specializations that we have begun to rely on for our daily work and services. Our lives have become dependent on smart communications to accomplish what we want to achieve through these technologies.
But what we see today is that there are problems with giant tech companies, especially those that manage global websites and platforms, as they lay off thousands of workers, among other industrial and commercial companies that retrenched thousands of their workers during the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic in recent years.
Against the backdrop of these mass layoffs, we also see a shortage of workers in key specialisations - medical, pathological, environmental and other fields. These services are increasingly in demand at the present time due to rising poverty, epidemics and natural disasters that often ravage the world. The need for adequate numbers of qualified cadres is even more imperative during this time.
Today, it is clear that major tech giants are doing away with their employees after earning millions in profits. Their motivations are driven by soaring inflation, threat of recession and even accumulating debt. Google, Twitter, Amazon and Meta are among the tech giants that have laid off thousands of employees during in the recent past. At the same time, medical institutions, health centers, and hospitals need qualified staff to serve rising patient populations.
Amid this skewed backdrop, families must take judicious decisions in encourage their children to pursue careers in disciplines that will endure notwithstanding technological changes.
Some experts in the field of technology believe that the layoffs in tech giants will continue for months and years. This is also evident in companies operating in the Gulf region that have laid off some of their tech staff despite healthy profit earnings. These layoffs enable the employers to reduce costs.
Companies lay off their workers in any sector in the world because of global economic circumstances, which requires them to restructure their administrative and financial operations in order to be suitably geared for future difficulties. Some of those institutions can operate efficiently with small numbers of workers – a trend we are seeing increasingly around the world.
Oman Observer is now on the WhatsApp channel. Click here
