Although job and the workplace has been evolving over the past several years, COVID-19 has irrevocably accelerated some of the changes. In continuing our conversation on the future of work, Certified Management Consultant, International Trade Expert, and Economist, Dr Claudius Preville, discusses among other things: how that is changing in the Caribbean region; the implications of the gig economy on the Caribbean workplace; and whether we can prevent the skills gap from widening.
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Over the past several months, and thanks to COVID-19, we all have had to grapple with a number of changes in how we work… how we view our work… and the workplace in general. Although we might all readily admit that jobs and the workplace has been changing, COVID-19 accelerated some of those changes, and may have forced us to confront them sooner rather than later.
Earlier this year, we began a series to discuss the topic, the future of work, as we were of the view that with the changing dynamics of workplace, it would be prudent for us to try to conduct a multi-faceted exploration of this issue. In earlier episodes, we started with an overview of the topic with Fabiano Rosa, of EY. Thereafter, we discussed the future of work from an education perspective, with Dr Wayne Wesley, of the Caribbean Examinations Council, which was followed by a conversation from the employers’ perspective with Brenda Cuthbert, of the Jamaica Employers’ Federation.
In this episode, we wanted to discuss the future of work, but perhaps more so from a management and country/economic perspective, as we continue to develop a more holistic view of what the future of work means, and what type of impact it might have on our lives and our societies.
Introducing our guest
Dr Claudius Preville, a Certified Management Consultant, International Trade Expert, and Economist, who is also the Manging Director of Preville and Associates Consulting Group. He has over 20 years of professional experience in the fields of international trade, trade development, trade policy and negotiations, trade in services, exports and value chains promotion and implementation.
Dr Preville has managed and supervised diverse international teams composed by key experts, and has been the Team Leader and Project Director of 16 international cooperation projects. As international trade expert, trade negotiator and facilitator, he has participated in the negotiation and implementation of trade and regional integration agreements, including in the Caribbean region: the World Trade Organisation Doha Development Agenda, for Commonwealth Secretariat; and the Free Trade Area of the Americas and Economic Partnership Agreement, for Caribbean Regional Negotiating Machinery.
Dr Preville resides in Saint Lucia with his family.
Insights into our conversation
The topic the future of work is layers, as there are a broad range of issues that it covers, all of which have consequences for employers, employees, and those who might be engaged in what might be considered no-traditional forms of work. In addition to the impact of technology, which is not only influencing how and where we work, but also job descriptions and the attendance skills we need to possess, organisations and their hiring practices are being driven by imperatives, such as to be agile, responsive to their customers and to changes in the market, whilst also trying to operate as cost-efficiently as possible. These are just a few of the lenses that are shaping the workplace of today, and of the future.
To that end, and during the course of our conversation with Dr Preville, we touched on a number of those issues, as reflected in some of the questions posed:
- Can you give us a brief overview of how has the Caribbean workplace been changing.
- What might be key trends, and even unforeseen consequences that have emerged due to COVID-19?
- What do you understand by the term ‘gig economy’, and what are some of the implications to today’s workplace?
- Two key challenges for gig workers, generally, is the potential for exploitation by the hiring entity, and the limited social welfare protections available to gig workers. What are your thoughts on this?
- What types of skills do you think will be required in the coming decade, for example?
- Across the Caribbean, there tends to be a large chasm between our very skilled labour and our unskilled and semi-skilled pool. Do we think we can prevent the skills gap from widening? And if yes, what could do?
- What might be some of the considerations and implications to our economies, and even to the workplace, if our labour pool becomes larger, thanks to people working longer (beyond the traditional age for retirement)?
- In some developed countries, and over the past few decades, there has been trends of decreasing working hours, particularly in Europe and North America. Do you think that practice will also be adopted in the Caribbean? What might be the implications to our countries?
We would love to hear from you!
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Select links
Below are links to some of the organisations and resources that either were mentioned during the episode, or otherwise, might be useful:
- Dr Claudius Preville website | LinkedIn
- World Trade Organisation, Definition of Services Trade and Modes of Supply
Image credits: Amarily Moreno (Pixabay); C Preville
Music credit: Ray Holman
Great discussion. I like the aspects of gig economy. I know ICT-Pulse has produced articles on regarding gig economy. But this in a discussion setting lets out some salient features not easily observable in written form. The discussion on skills, value-adding skills, another part of the podcast that is well-covered. Just as well the interviewer asked for further illumination on “value-adding skills”.