Australia’s first female prime minister returned to the western suburbs last week to be the keynote speaker at the 2017 Barry Jones Oration.
Former Lalor MP Julia Gillard discussed preparing for a new workforce in the face of new technology, and questioned what jobs of the future will look like.
Ms Gillard said as much as 80 per cent of current jobs may cease to exist in the next 20 years, meaning required skill sets would change drastically.
“Already, robots are doing manual, repetitive work,” she said.
“It happens on factory lines all around the world; we are familiar with it in Melbourne’s west. Many of these innovations are exciting – they offer us a cheaper, faster, more effective way of doing things. But critically, they change the way that we use human capital … new jobs will emerge, but will there be enough, and how will we ensure that the opportunities that come from such change are shared?”
Ms Gillard said strong community links – such as those forged by Werribee locals when the suburb was still a small country town – would continue to reap benefits.
“The local football club still matters, the annual community festival is still vibrant, the city culture has enabled the community to come together in key moments,” she said.
The Barry Jones Oration, named after Ms Gillard’s predecessor in the seat of Lalor, is an initiative by Wyndham council to promote learning, skills and critical thinking.
