Meeting the Unequal Challenges of Technological Disruption to Working Lives
We are in a period of rapid technological transformation, and research is telling us that many individuals feel anxious about the future of work, with a sense of inevitability and lack of control about a future imposed upon them.
However, the consequences of these changes are not evenly distributed, nor are they technologically predetermined. Impacts are being felt across different sectors of society, across different regional contexts, and being experienced by people of different backgrounds and at different stages of working lives in different ways. In 2026, the APPG on the Future of Work will host a series of dialogues themed around these impacts, and on 10 February we held a closed-door discussion with two guest speakers to kick us off.
This discussion was hosted by our new chair Justin Madders MP and co-chair Lord Knight of Weymouth.
Regional Contexts: Promoting Good Work Opportunities in Cornwall
First, we were joined by Jessie Leigh, Board Director, Cornwall Chamber of Commerce; Work and Health Programme of Care Lead, Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Integrated Care Board; and Co-Chair, Cornwall Neighbourhoods for Change.
Jessie told us that Cornwall is a region with huge potential in human and natural capital, natural resources, opportunities for the green economy, strong rural and tourism economies, and a growing digital cluster – but which also faces huge challenges in lack of infrastructure and economic disparities: Cornwall is one of least developed regions in Europe according to the OECD, and has a population aging statistically quicker than most other areas in the UK. Cornwall also has particular challenges where wages are below the national average, but the cost of living is above average.
In Cornwall, the majority of workers are employed in three sector-clusters: 1. tourism, hospitality and retail; 2. public services; and 3. health and social care, none of which necessarily feature in the Government’s growth plans for the 8 priority sectors. Most workers are also either employed by Small and Medium-Sized Entreprises (SMEs) or are self-employed/freelance, which represents huge potential for creativity and innovation, but limits institutional capacity for worker support and technological transitions.
In our discussion, we reflected on how young people are often drawn away from Cornwall for education or employment, and are not necessarily attracted back again. Older people do tend to return to the area, but the effect is a ‘skinny in the middle’ workforce where more investment in opportunity is needed for early and mid-career workers.
We also discussed how methods of measuring regional challenges really matter: in the past, much economic analysis of the area was combined with the whole of the SouthWest, but neighbouring regions can face very different challenges and present different opportunities, masking issues and obscuring paths for opportunity.
Overall, we heard a call for more targeted investments in regions like Cornwall, where values-driven firms want to invest in people but where challenging economic climates limit that capacity, and where growing sectors such as Falmouth’s media industry present opportunity but too much value is still extracted and realised in other more prosperous parts of the country.
Getting Started in Today’s Labour Markets: Decisions and their Contexts for Young People
Second, we heard from Jennifer, a first-year degree apprenticeship student from London.
Jennifer told us that she is enjoying her course, and that the appeal of an ‘earn and learn’ route attracted her – combining both practical work experience and a qualification (the latter, much valued by her parents!). Indeed, as she sees it, most employers today are asking for practical experience and demonstrable work skills, meaning that even those who go for a traditional university qualification are feeling the need to seek out those opportunities.
Still, in our discussion we reflected on how the university route for young people still attracts the most attention. Jennifer told us that she felt she would thrive better in her degree-apprenticeship than in a traditional university environment, but described how many of her friends and colleagues still valued the university route most when leaving school, and pointed to what she described as the ‘slightly sad reality’ that many people make their decisions for financial and employment reasons as much as pursuit of interest.
We also reflected on how higher education can pigeon-hole learners, comparing the typical single-subject UK university course to the ‘major/minor’ system in the US. Jennifer told us that she would have preferred to have that sort of flexibility and even considered moving to study in the US where she could have taken some courses with employability in mind, and others for enjoyment and personal growth.
Alongside those of her colleagues pursuing apprenticeships or university, Jennifer also told us of many who are taking gap years, mostly out of necessity more than choice, as they seek to re-sit A-levels or reapply for high-quality apprenticeships or university places after unfortunately failing the first time, and reflecting on the difficulties young people are facing in very competitive situations.
Jennifer also told us she is living at home while completing her course – a financial choice – though we did acknowledge the advantage of having that option, which might not be available were she living in Cornwall, for example.
Overall, Jennifer called for more attention to be paid in public policy to promoting non-traditional routes in early careers. University is still seen as the default route for school leavers, and Jennifer told us that she had to do most of the thinking and convincing that her degree-apprenticeship was the best choice. In light of recently stated Government ambitions to elevate the role of apprenticeships in society, this challenge couldn't be more relevant.
Going Forward
Regions and age groups are just two of the thematic impacts the APPG will explore in upcoming events on how technological change is shaping our working lives. We will seek to continue to connect parliamentarians and experts to those with lived experience of those transformations, never losing sight of the human impacts of technology and allowing diverse perspectives and insights to be shared, to inform our political debates and our policy augments.
The APPG on the Future of Work extends huge thanks to Jennife and Jessie for joining us to share their expertise and kick off our year. If you would like to find out more about future events or get involved, contact us at team@ifow.org
Thumbnail image credit: Pauline Wee & DAIR / https://betterimagesofai.org / https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/