Session
Organizer 1: Joyce Dogniez, Internet Society
Organizer 2: Agustina Callegari, Internet Society
Organizer 3: Pollyanna Rigon Valente, CRERAL TELECOM
Organizer 4: Bruna Santos , Coding Rights
Speaker 1: Galperin Hernan, Civil Society, Latin American and Caribbean Group (GRULAC)
Speaker 2: Beate egen, Private Sector, Western European and Others Group (WEOG)
Speaker 3: Maria Luz Vega, Intergovernmental Organization, Western European and Others Group (WEOG)
Speaker 4: Luisa Verónica Arroyo Revatta, Civil Society, Latin American and Caribbean Group (GRULAC)
Speaker 5: Joy Wathagi Ndungu, Civil Society, African Group
Maria Prieto - International Labour Organization
Sevinc Aliyeva - Youth@IGF 2018
Sebastian Wee Kiat Hoe - Youth@IGF 2018
Bruna Martins Dos Santos
Pollyanna Rigon Valente
Guilherme Alves
Round Table - 90 Min
Speakers have been selected to ensure both a diversity of stakeholder as well as different regional perspectives. The International Labour Organization, as well as the University of Southern California, confirmed their participation. Youth leaders from different regions (LAC and Africa) also confirmed their attendance and, Youth@IGF 2018 selected participants from APAC and Europe will be invited to the session as speakers. In addition, different companies and governments (Senegal) have been invited to join the session, and they would confirm their participation once the IGF location is announced.
The session aims to bring together young people with different stakeholder. As so technical community, academia, international organisations and the private sector are represented in this workshop. In addition, we look for regional diversity and we count with speakers from Latin America, North America, Europe and Africa. In addition, we work to guarantee gender balance and, as so, we aim to have 50% of women participants. As regards policy perspectives, the session aims to contain different approaches to the issue and the speakers come from different backgrounds even in the cases where they are from the same group (youth) or belong to the same stakeholder.
The Internet is changing the nature of work as we know it today. For too many young people all over the world, the path to employment is full of challenges. For too many businesses and other organisations, finding young people with the proper skills also has difficulties. In this context, it is important to examine how to align youth, their training and their needs in the context of digitalisation with the employer requirements to connect young people with opportunities and not only bridge the skills gap but also to advance economic development in their countries. This workshop aims to bring together young people from all different regions, companies, and organizations to have a face-to-face discussion about the impact that the Internet and other technologies have on the future of work. The session will address two main issues that are central for the discussion: the impact of the Internet on youth entering the workforce and the growing demand for key skills by companies and organisations. Understanding these scenarios through 2030 can help not only youth but also businesses to better prepare for the future in support of the Sustainable Development Agenda. 1- Youth employment and the future of work While it is difficult to predict the exact impact of technology on jobs, the current scenario indicates that there are both reasons for optimism but also reasons for concerns. In this part of the session, understanding the most challenging questions about youth entering the workforce today will allow us to think about the future. How is the Internet changing the nature of work and how can youth benefit from these changes? How are companies and organisation adopting to new ways of working? How do both companies and youth see this scenario in 5-10 years? What are their main concerns and how should we face these challenges? 2- Capacity Building policies and best practices Discussions about education and skills go hand in hand with debates about employment and future of work. In this part of the session, speakers and participants will address the following trigger questions: How do we better equip young people with the rights skills for the future? What skills do companies and organisations need in the context of digitalisation and what are the challenges they face to find the right people? What are the challenges that young people face gaining these skills and what gaps do they need to overcome to find jobs? How can the Internet contribute to overcoming these challenges? Provisional agenda: Welcome and overview of the session - 5 minutes The Internet and Future of Work: introduction to the topic - 10 minutes Roundtable Topic 1 (the speakers will be invited to address the identified trigger questions): 35 minutes Speakers (20 min) Participants (15 min) Roundtable Topic 2 - 35 minutes Speakers (20 min) Participants (15 min) Closing remarks - 5 minutes Total time distribution: Welcome and overview of the session: 5 minutes Topic introduction: 10 minutes Total time speakers: 40 minutes (divided into two rounds of 20 minutes each). Total time participants (remote and in person): 30 minutes (divided into two rounds of 15 minutes each). Closing: 5 minutes Total time: 90 minutes
Speakers:
Maria Prieto - ILO - International Organisation - Europe (Confirmed)
Beate Degen - Ernst & Young -EY- Private sector- Europe (Confirmed)
Pablo Hinajosa - technical community - APAC (Confirmed)
Souleymane Diallo (Senegal, ICT Ministry - Africa) (Confirmed)
Youth:
Verónica Arroyo - Youth Observatory - LAC (Confirmed)
Joy Wathagi Ndungu (Digital Grassroots) - Africa (Confirmed)
Sevinc Aliyeva - Youth@IGF 2018
Sebastian Wee Kiat Hoe - Youth@IGF 2018
The structure of this roundtable is intended to foster an inclusive conversation and promote constructive exchanges between discussants and other round table participants. In order to promote an informal discussion on the proposed topics between onsite and online audience and to allow interventions, online participation will be facilitated as mentioned above.
Access to the Internet, digital platform, and other technologies are changing the nature of work as we know it today. However, the impact that current technological trends will have on the labour force is not obvious. A range of scenarios are possible. As the Internet Society's 2017 Global Internet Report shows, the evolution of the Internet and technology generates anxieties and fears about its impact on the future, in a context where employment plays a central role in society and economic development. In recent years it has been postulated that technology will cause job losses up to 50% of all jobs over the next few decades, but, at the same time, new studies argue that the movement of the economic activity to the Internet is beginning to have a positive impact on employment. The topic has been incorporated into the Sustainable Development Agenda adopted by the United Nations in 2015, in which decent work and economic growth (SDG 8) and quality education (SDG 4) are established as specific goals to be achieved by 2030. Also, key international forums such as G20 and G7 have put this issue at the center of the discussion. In this context, this workshop seeks to bring to the table different stakeholders including youth to discuss how the Internet is impacting on the future of work, and what policies are needed to ensure young people benefit from these technological changes. Including youth in this conversation is vital as they are the driving force that can shape the future. In addition, as no stakeholder can face the challenges that the future of work present alone, this session aims to include diverse perspectives, ideas, and solutions to address the issue. This workshop is built on prior discussions as it includes some perspectives from a policy paper entitled “The Internet and Jobs. A giant opportunity for Europe”, prepared for a CEPS conference co-organised with the Internet Society and the European Committee of the Regions in 2017. As it also aims to include new perspectives by incorporating the views of the youth on the discussion, the outcomes of a roundtable organised by Internet Society, the Youth Observatory and Y20 (Youth Engagement Group for G20) will be considered for the workshop preparation.
During the session, online participants will have the same rules that on-site ones. To promote online participation the remote moderator will provide constant support and feedback to the remote participants that want to address the discussion All of the session organizers have abundant experience managing remote participation in the Youth Observatory and ISOC context and will have no trouble facilitating remote participation. In addition to the aforementioned fora, we will also promote a dedicated hashtag (#DigitalFutureofWork) so that the speakers, audience members, and online participants can discuss the issues raised in real time on a more widely accessible medium. A collaborative document will gather these records of comments and questions during and after the workshop, to be later integrated into the report. A variety of media can also serve as background material for this debate, based on previous workshops. Remote participation tools will ensure an inclusive, accessible, and global audience both via the IGF online participation tools and Youth Observatory online discussion forums.
Reference Document: https://www.internetsociety.org/resources/doc/2017/internet-access-and-education/
Welcome and overview of the session - 5 minutes
The Internet and Future of Work: an introduction to the topic - 10 minutes
Roundtable “Youth employment and the future of work”
Speakers (20 min)
Maria Prieto - ILO
Beate Degen -EY
Wathagi Ndungu - Digital Grassroots
Sevinc Aliyeva - Youth@IGF 2018
Q&A 15 min
Roundtable “Capacity Building policies and best practices”
Speakers (20 min)
Souleymane Diallo - Government Senegal
Pablo Hinojosa - Apnic
Veronica Arroyo - SIG Youth
Sebastian Wee Kiat Hoe - Youth@IGF 2018
Q&A 15 min
Closing remarks - 5 minutes
Report
IGF 2018 Report
WS 443: The Internet and Jobs: Preparing Gen YZ for Future of Work
Session Type (Workshop, Open Forum, etc.):
Workshop (Panel)
Title:
“The Internet and Jobs: Preparing Gen YZ for Future of Work”
Date & Time:
Tuesday 13 November 2018 - 10:10 - 11:40 Salle IX
Organizer(s):
Élisson Diones, Youth Observatory
Joyce Dogniez, Internet Society
Agustina Callegari, Internet Society
Chair/Moderator:
Agustina Callegari, Internet Society
Bruna Santos, Coding Rights and Youth Observatory
Rapporteur/Notetaker:
Guilherme Alves, Youth Observatory
List of speakers and their institutional affiliations:
Mr. Cláudio Lucena - Paraíba State University (UEPB) - male
Ms. Maria Prieto - International Labour Organization (ILO) - female
Ms. Joy Wathagi Ndungu - Digital Grassroots - female
Mr. Lars Steffen - eco (Association of the Internet Industry) - male
Ms. Sevinj Aliyeva - Youth@IGF 2018 - female
Ms. Verónica Arroyo - Access Now and Youth Observatory - female
Ms. Ndeye Fatau Coundoul - Senegal ICT Ministry - female
Mr. Sebastian Wee Kiat Hoe - Youth@IGF 2018 and National Youth Council, Singapore - male
Mr. Pablo Hinajosa - Asia Pacific Network Information Centre (APNIC) - male
Theme:
Development, Innovation & Economic Issues
Human Rights, Gender & Youth
Subtheme:
Future of Work
Youth Inclusion
Please state no more than three (3) key messages of the discussion. [300-500 words]
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When we talk about the impact of the Internet and technology on future jobs, it is important to also bring youth to the center of the discussion. They are the ones who are entering the labor world now and the ones who often are primarily affected by unemployment and all transformations arising from the Internet and technology. Many of those young professionals are well known as part of the “digital native” generation, so they already have the skills to contribute to better-shaped policies and regulations around the world. It can not be forgotten, however, that many young people living in developing countries are not “digital natives”, however they also need to be considered. Initiatives that bring young people to the discussion and to decision-making processes have started lately and need to be encouraged while considering youth diversity. IGF has become a key forum to consider all those issues.
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Society is worried about the risks and opportunities that the Internet and technology could pose on jobs. Understanding the concerns, discussing them, and making our collective voices heard is essential to enjoying the opportunities that the Internet generates for the future of work and reduce the risks. Also, it is important to create initiatives that consider diversity around the issue. Some of that diversity are distinctions between developed and developing countries, also diversity of group ages, work sectors and industries. Some speakers addressed issues regarding quality of life when it comes to working online. They suggested that it is important for regulatory and policy initiatives to consider dimensions such as physical and mental health, as well as private and family life, in order to preserve workers’ welfare.
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Quality education is essential for thinking about the future of work, not only as a tool for capacity building and to enable skills in a new scenario, but also to guarantee a fair future. While a range of paths are possible, we cannot forget that we already have guidelines to make the change: the Sustainable Development Goals.
Please elaborate on the discussion held, specifically on areas of agreement and divergence. [300 words] Examples: There was broad support for the view that…; Many [or some] indicated that…; Some supported XX, while others noted YY…; No agreement…
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There was a broad support for the view that the Internet and new technology trends are having a deep impact on work and that while there are concerns about job loss, these changes are also an opportunity for the creation of new types of jobs. Ms. Prieto stated, however, that issues such as the number of jobs that will disappear and the number that will be created are speculative. A key issue is actually to understand how current jobs are already changing due to the Internet. Drivers of change include not only the Internet and new technologies themselves, but also social-demographic factors. There are work sectors that are growing and that are not related to technology, such as child and elderly care. Climate change is influencing changes as well, along with new steps in globalization. To conclude, a broader context is needed to understand not only how technology is affecting work but also how it can be used to promote required changes in different sectors of the economy.
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All the speakers addressed the importance of including youth in the discussion about this topic and some highlighted initiatives that are already including young people in their projects.
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While the situation in different countries and regions, as described by the speakers, is not the same, there was agreement on the importance of encouraging the creation of digital skills for the future. Ms. Aliyeva stated that a network approach is an example of opportunity brought by the Internet for free and/or affordable capacity building on digital skills. Increasing awareness of this kind of opportunity is strongly recommended for public policies. Ms. Arroyo remarked that the gender gap still plays an important role in the access to education and, thus, to digital skills in many countries.
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Some highlighted the role of governments in equipping youth with the right skills, while others noted the importance of multistakeholder cooperation to tackle the issue.
Please describe any policy recommendations or suggestions regarding the way forward/potential next steps. [200 words]
It was suggested that more attention should be given to education and digital skills and to making learning a long-term endeavor. It was also recommended to continue the conversation by focusing on the opportunities that the future of work could bring, as most of the challenges were addressed during the panel. It is important to promote policies tackling not only the future but also current transformations, taking into account how jobs are already changing, how inequalities in access to formal work can be increased without proper policies and how workers’ welfare is a key issue in regulatory updates.
What ideas surfaced in the discussion with respect to how the IGF ecosystem might make progress on this issue? [150 words]
Since the impact of technology on the future of jobs is an emerging topic, it was suggested that this is an issue that the IGF ecosystem needs to pay attention to as it could have an impact in other IG areas. The importance of the topic for youth involved in the IG ecosystem was also key for the session. In addition, this topic is an opportunity to engage new stakeholders in IG discussions. Discussions addressing the many layers of the issue, such as capacity building, human rights, digital economy, and the policymaking process should be expected in upcoming forums.
Please estimate the total number of participants.
95
- Please estimate the total number of women and gender-variant individuals present.
- Women: 45
- Gender-variant: not estimated
To what extent did the session discuss gender issues, and if to any extent, what was the discussion? [100 words]
One of the speakers talked about the gender gaps existing in the labor forces and the challenges that women face in gaining digital skills in many countries. The gender gap in access to the Internet and education was also addressed as part of a cyclical divide.
Session outputs and other relevant links (URLs):
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Workshop transcription:
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ILO “Global Commission on the Future of Work” website:
https://www.ilo.org/global/topics/future-of-work/lang--en/index.htm
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eco “New Work” website: https://international.eco.de/topics/new-work/