Preparing Kansas City for the Fourth Industrial Revolution

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Preparing Kansas City for the Fourth Industrial Revolution

Kansas City, MO > Economic Resilience

Dawson Lemmons

Proposed Jun. 30, 2020

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Six out of ten jobs in today's work environment could have at least 30 percent of tasks automated with presently available technology (McKinsey and Company 2019). It's estimated that up to 54 million people will be displaced from their work by 2030 due to automation (McKinsey and Company 2019). COVID-19 has likely sped up that timeline by changing consumer trends and forcing employers to make modifications to encourage social distancing and work from home. However, like previous Industrial Revolutions, new jobs will also be created. One study estimates 58 million new jobs will be created by machines and algorithms by 2022 (World Economic Forum 2018). The Artemis Initiative will proactively support job seekers, particularly individuals with disadvantages or different abilities, in transition to the jobs of the future.

Goodwill of Western Missouri and Eastern Kansas proposes that the city of Kansas City proactively support future state of work training's and real-world learning opportunities, to address the above challenges. This support could come in the form of direct funding for training institutions, support of public-private partnerships, and meetings with manufacturers to discuss how to prepare for this shift in the economy and make sure Kansas City could become the focal pint for smart state innovation in Missouri. Illinois became the first smart state back in 2018 when they adopted the Smarter Illinois Initiative which trained their government employees in how to be more efficient in the workforce. Illinois trained their employees on how to use the same smart technologies that were previously discussed in our proposal. This program has helped local governments stay competitive and attract innovative companies to their state (DoIt 2018). With a similar program such as the Artemis Initiative, Kansas City can be the stepping stone that attracts innovative companies to the great state of Missouri and creates the best trained workforce in the country.

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Dawson Lemmons (06/30/2020)
For clarification here is more information on the Artemis Initiative: At Goodwill of Western Missouri and Eastern Kansas we’ve been working on a project called the Artemis Initiative which will provide training and the tools necessary to go into the work force with the skills needed to receive a steady and livable income. This program will provide job seekers (incumbent, unemployed, underemployed, etc.) training for industries driven by future state technologies, including artificial intelligence, robotics, 3D printing, cybersecurity, virtual/augmented/mixed realities, and the Internet of Things. We will also work with organizations to create inclusive workforces and develop technology that ethically augments humans instead of automating their roles.