Your Career in Human Services Is Safe From Automation

Choosing a career comes from thinking about a wide range of factors. In this modern world, a common concern to research is the likelihood of a job becoming obsolete due to automation. It’s a valid fear as artificial intelligence, information collection and robotics are making it possible to increase automation and decrease reliance on human labour. No one wants to choose a career only to find out they are obsolete a few years later. 

One area that is safe from automation for the foreseeable future is human services. Human services careers are focused on helping others grow, thrive, live a fulfilling life and be the best they can possibly be.  

 

Why the human element is so important in human services 

Human services is exactly what it sounds like, serving humans. Many things a human does are very difficult (impossible, for now) for automation or artificial intelligence to do.  

 

Problem-solving 

Human services is filled with various jobs that require the human-only ability to talk, listen and explore with another individual to determine solutions, options and opportunities specific to that person. While automation can do some of these things in a finite setting, it certainly can’t apply it to something as variable as a human being.  

 

For example, the technique learned in a dyslexia training course that worked with a student yesterday may not work tomorrow. Combining the information learned in that program with what was learned in an education assistant course could open up the idea of a new technique to try with the student. The education assistant knows the student and can determine the best ways to introduce a new tool or method based on previous and current behaviours. 

 

These are things automation can’t mimic. Automation can’t problem solve on the fly like a human can. 

 

Sensory touch 

Perhaps, the most unachievable thing for automation is human touch. Someone who has taken an online recreational therapy program is very likely to touch a patient or client as they help them understand a movement or position. Individuals who have taken a gerontology course are bound to touch a senior they work with to express caring, compassion, understanding or carefully help them up after a fall.  

 

Robots are being created to do more gentle and controlled tasks that involve touch, but getting the pressure or angle right still can’t take the place of the warmth of another human’s hand or embrace. Imagine a care home aid robot trying to both lift a senior that has fallen while providing verbal support. It’s not possible in a meaningful way. 

 

Clustering information 

There is also the way humans can group various pieces of seemingly unrelated pieces of information to come to a conclusion. A child with autism spectrum disorder may act out after lunch, have a skin rash from time to time and may experience periodic gastrointestinal issues. A medically programmed automation system might put these things together, but with time lapsing in between and the child not knowing that the issues are related would make an automated connection unlikely.  

 

However, an education assistant who has taken autism courses and works very closely with the student would see quickly what are normal behaviours and issues and what are not. Because of the training in autism, the assistant is more likely to make the connection to a gluten sensitivity – a growing area of study in those with autism – than any automated system. 

 

Appreciating expression and personality 

Additionally, a human can “read a room” in ways automation will never be able to. Often, someone who has RBT certification (Registered Behaviour Technician) is involved in a diagnosis of a condition related to behaviours. This can be difficult for the individual being diagnosed to hear, but it is also difficult for family and friends. Because the technician has established a relationship with these people, they are able to catch subtle cues and gestures, as well as the obvious ones, to know who needs more support along the journey of discovery.    

 

Jobs in human services are unlikely to be replaced by automation any time soon. While robots and artificial intelligence are growing in their abilities to fulfill numerous needs, caring for a human being is not one of them.



Written by Ronda Payne

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Why Use the Orton-Gillingham Approach for Treating Dyslexia?

Image
  What is Dyslexia?   Dyslexia is a very common learning disability known as a developmental reading disorder, affecting at least  1 in 10 children  worldwide. It causes trouble reading accurately and fluently, and can also affect reading comprehension, spelling and writing. Children with dyslexia have a much harder time learning to read, as it takes away their ability to read quickly and automatically or find spoken words easily. It does not affect a child’s creativity or ingenuity, and it occurs in children with normal intelligence. Early intervention is, however, very important to catch this while children are still young in order to treat it effectively.    There are  4 types  of dyslexia.   Phonological dyslexia.   Also called dysphonetic or auditory dyslexia, people with this type have difficulty processing the sounds of individual letters and syllables and cannot match them with the written forms.   Surface dyslexia.   Also called dyseidetic or visual dyslexia, this type is mark
Read more

What a Professional Life-Coaching Career Looks Like

Image
  The role of a coach can means a lot of things. They are someone who instructs, trains, or teaches other people a skill and how to actively use this skill in their life. This is something that everyone can use, and we kind of coach each other throughout our lives in a lot of ways already. Sometimes you might have your friends coaching you on navigating your relationships, your parents might try to coach you while you are starting to look for your first job, and your teachers will be coaching you on how to start applying to get into school. Sometimes in life though, people need a more serious and committed person in that role to really help them get or stay on track of what they want to accomplish. This is where a professional life coach comes in.    A life coach is trained to help people hone their skills, personality, and goals, and can give people the tools to really be successful in life. Maybe this means helping them get organized or changing certain patterns and ways of thinking.
Read more

Why a Career in Mental Health Support is Important and Fulfilling

Image
  Mental health is a universal subject that rarely gets the attention it deserves, with  1 in 8 people  living with a mental health disorder worldwide. Mental health conditions and substance use disorders are increasing everywhere, with a  13% rise  in the past 10 years globally, with anxiety and depression being the most common. This contributes to the rise in drug use and addiction as well, creating even more issues and necessary treatment.   The Drug Crisis in British Colombia   The illicit drug crisis in BC is still going strong, claiming more lives than motor-vehicle incidents, homicides or suicides, and fire or drowning-related deaths combined. According to the most recent  B.C. Coroners Service Report , since the start of 2022 in British Colombia alone there have been 722 deaths attributed to illicit drug toxicity. Of those deaths, 73% were aged 30 to 59, and 76% were male. Most of these occurred very close to home in Vancouver, Surrey and Victoria. This equates to an average of
Read more