Employment Opportunities

  Many jobs have been created/adapted through the use of ICT, everything through the way they are done, to where they are done. Examples of new jobs are web designers, IT consultants and database mangers. But also many jobs have been forced to dissapear, with new techniques being developed. Examples of those that have changed are music and film makers and bloggers, with those that have dissapeared nearly completely such as shorthand typists and chimney sweepers.
  Many jobs that were replaced was those that could be completed by automated machines, rather than people. For employers this was a much cheaper, efficient labour force, with no extra costs on top of salaries, for example sick pay and holiday pay. An example of this automation system is in banks, just before 1970, when an automated clearing system for cheques and other payment systems was developed, (BACS). In 1970 it processed approximately 70 million cheques and 30 million direct debits. The development meant that a lot of jobs at the bank, especially administrative work, could be automated and replaced with computors. Skilled and well trained bank staff who performed all the clerical tasks could be replaced with computors, and less well trained staff to watch over the machines. This meant that highly paid courses, such as banking, insurance, and typing skills, what were once the most popular courses, now only make up a small percentage of college students. The introduction of ATM's has also meant that jobs have dissapeared. All this automation and use of ICT has resulted in the closing of many banks, as the number of them are now no longer needed. Clearly this system is much more cost effective than using other employees, with the chance of machines having as many problems as workers being low, (e.g. having a week off work sick).
  Other jobs, such as shorthand and touch typing have dissapeared completely. Most employers, whether small or large, would employ at least 1 person for this role, with their main job being taking notes, type up memos, letters, reports, and generally any hand written information that needed to be typed up. Advances in technology, now employers are able to download office software, such as word processing, spreadsheets, databases and presentation software has meant that all staff are able to do this more quickly and efficiently themselves, no longer needing to employ someone else.