As the world emerges from devastating COVID-19 lockdowns in 2020, which saw millions of job losses and had more dire economic effects than the 2008 financial crisis, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s (OECD) Employment Outlook 2021 highlighted two critical risk factors which would have a significant impact on economic recovery.
The first risk concerned job losses, with more than 110 million fewer jobs available globally and 14 million more people inactive in the job market or who aren’t seeking work in OECD countries, this painted a grim picture for long-term unemployment. The second major concern pointed out the existing social and economic divide which had been further deepened by the pandemic. Some of these imminent problems are the diminishing working hours for the lower income earners, the remote model be it for working or learning not being accessible to all, and the growing youth employment gap. The outlook also reported that approximately 3 million more youth across the OECD countries fall under its NEET (Not in Employment, Education or training) bracket, compared to 2019.
Attendees to the 2nd annual Future of Work Virtual Conference can look forward to sessions that will all reflect on what’s happening on ground and the speed of transformation, as prominent speakers engage on new work trends for the post-pandemic business. This half day conference is being brought to audiences, free of charge, on Wednesday 13 October 2021 from 12h30pm to 15h30pm CAT, by CNBC AFRICA in partnership with Vodacom Business, SEACOM Business and FORBES AFRICA.
“We have been hearing about the benefits of 5G for years now, but it wasn’t until remote work, video conferencing and digital collaboration became core parts of our lives this year that the need for reliable connectivity and more bandwidth became a real, concrete benefit that we could all wrap our heads around. As Vodacom, we firmly believe in a connected digital society that connects people, communities and things to the internet like never before. The conference will unpack what the impact of a 5G enabled society can do for the economy and society at large, as we all endeavour to recover from the devastating impact pf COVID-19”, says Pavesh Govender, Managing Executive of IoT at Vodacom Business.
“Last year, CNBC AFRICA hosted the first of its kind Future of Work Virtual Conference, in partnership with FORBES AFRICA and esteemed sponsors. The conference attracted more than 2 000 global viewers who engaged with industry experts on digital opportunities for the continent. We look forward to bring our audience, another thought-provoking half day conference this year, as we look into the future world of hybrid work, addressing critical challenges and brain-picking solutions from leaders in the industry, thanks to our valued partners; Vodacom Business and SEACOM Business.” says Roberta Naicker, Managing Director for the ABN Group.
The 2021 Future of Work Virtual Conference speaker panel topics include:
• Work from Home and the Hybrid Office
• 5G as Multi-lane Communications Superhighway for the 24/7 Enterprise
• Digital Transformation and the Role of Hybrid Cloud in Meeting the Demands of Business
• Confidential Computing & Cybersecurity
Speaker lineup:
– Kabelo Makwane, Managing Executive: Cloud, Hosting & Security, Business Solutions; Vodacom Business
– Steve Briggs, Chief Sales and Marketing Officer; SEACOM Business
– Pavesh Govender, Managing Executive: Internet of Things (IoT) Africa; Vodacom Business
– Emma Luyt, Managing Director; Tétris
– Ignus de Villiers, Group Head of Cyber Security; Liquid Intelligent Technologies
– Sizwe Cakwebe, Primary Contact and Cyber Risk Manager; SHA
– Rudi van Blerk, Principal and Recruitment Director; Boston Consulting Group
– Eva Andrén, Vice-President and Head of Managed Services; Ericsson Middle East & Africa
– John Brodie, Head: Future of Work and Leadership Services; Deloitte Africa
– Colin Erasmus, Modern Workplace and Security Business Group Lead at Microsoft South Africa
– Lars Jeppesen, CEO & Co-Founder, Tech One Global
Panel moderators:
– Godfrey Mutizwa, Editor-in-Chief, CNBC Africa
– Dan Adkins, Group CEO, Transnational Academic Group
– Toby Shapshak, Editor, Stuff Magazine
Space is limited, so register now for this free-of-charge virtual conference at https://hopin.com/events/future-of-work-summit-africa. For more information and event updates follow us @cnbcafrica by using the hashtags #FOW2021 #ABNEvents.
CLICK HERE to submit your press release to MyPR.co.za.
