The Fourth Industrial Revolution urges us to constantly revise our regulatory frameworks in order to rise to the challenge of the vertiginous changes it brings along. The time of stone written reforms is gone. We need regulatory frameworks that enable us to become the key players of the future of work.

In Latin America, we are used to moving within regulatory frameworks that have been established for decades. Our regulatory frameworks were written in typewriters, as they were developed during a time that did not foresee the existence of computers. These are legal frameworks developed to organize the impacts of the Industrial Revolution that used water and vapour to leave the craft production period behind, and of the Second Industrial Revolution, which used electricity to start assembly-line production.

Since electronics and information technology started to transform the way we live and work, automatizing processes, these frameworks have started to crack and show their obsolescence. When did this happen? During the final decades of the last century, when the Third Industrial Revolution produced profound transformations in our societies. This disruptive historical landmark brought along the decentralization of production, more flexible working schedules, the emergence of new industries, such as electronics, telecommunications and information technology, a strong development of the service economy and, most importantly, the globalization of the economy.

Nevertheless, our legal frameworks kept on regulation a reality that no longer existed and that was transforming at an unprecedented speed.

Currently, we are going through a period that is vertiginously changing the way we related, live and the concept of work. We have started walking down a path that will experience more changes in the next 20 years, than it had during the previous 200 years. Temporality might be an ally when trying to visualize the exponential speed of the transformations that come up as a result of the mix of different technological developments, of the combination of very sophisticated technologies.  We are no longer talking about automation, but about robots integrated into cyber-physic systems. Human intelligence and artificial intelligence.

This process of continuous and dizzying transformation will only benefit those who are capable of innovating and adapting. And, meanwhile, we still have the very same regulatory frameworks that were fit for the reality of the first half of the 20st century. In addition, we face challenges in terms of education, the aging process of our societies and the need to reconvert the workforce. This combination of facts has led several countries in the region to analyse the need of generating regulatory frameworks that connect better with these transformations. However, the debate seems shallow, imbued with ideologies and categories that belong to the past and do not seem to be adequate for the present and the future.

Sticking with the status quo is not an option. Inventions cannot be un-invented, the exponential development of new technologies and the convergence phenomenon can be empirically checked.  Energy and time should not be wasted in the debate on the new economy. The investment of resources should be used to debate the way in which we shall become the key actors of the new economy.

Reforms will no longer be what they once were. They shall be permanently revised and strategic concepts shall be added as they emerge with new transformations.

We need those who can directly modify the status quo to start looking forward and not into the past. They must connect education to this new reality, promote different forms of formal labour, uphold the development of the economy 4.0, and visualize the concept of competitiveness for the geographies and the citizens they represent.

Those of us who are carefully optimistic about Latin America, given the concrete opportunity it has of seizing the window of demographic opportunity and achieving sustainable development, also alert about the potential phenomenon of technological Darwinism in which the lack of adaptation shall mean not surviving.

As I write down these lines, I read that certain politicians are busy in increasing expenditure by expanding public employment, which add no value at all for citizens. They seem to be far away from developing regulatory frameworks that shall create human capital 4.0, attractive conditions to create or lure companies 4.0, and development with inclusion. Their agendas for this year, which is coming to an end, have yellow pages, filled with notes and concepts that belong to the 20st century. They do not seem to be worried about the competitiveness of their cities and countries, they move in a dynamic that, if it does not change, will prevent us from reaching the future of work and the possibility of having the jobs of the future.

My humble wish for the year that is about to start is for citizens to be able to demand our representatives to rise to the challenge of the current situation.

About Martin Padulla

Founder and Managing Director of staffingamericalatina. Martin Padulla is Sociologist (USAL), MBA (UCA) and labour markets expert. He published “Flexible Work in South America” and “Regulatory framework for private employment agencies in Latin America” two books about the new realities of work in Latin America.

Follow Martín Padulla on Twitter: @MartinPadulla

mpadulla@staffingamericalatina.com

About staffingamericalatina

It is the unique independent digital media specialized in Latin American´s labour markets.

Produce and spread contents, researches and developments about issues such us Employability, Youth Employment, Training for Employment, Decent Work, Private Employment Agencies, Active policies for employment, Teleworking, Public and private actions for the creation of decent work, Green Jobs and Corporate Social Responsibility.

It is the meeting point for companies, providers, candidates, service´s companies, academics and independent professionals of Latin America.

Follow staffingamericalatina on Twitter: @staffingal