Workers in the United States need to boost their skills and Jeb Bush said this is possible through education reforms. The former Florida governor said if students early on are taught competence, then their jobs won't be at risk from robots in the future.
Bush spoke about workers' skills, education and competence amid a changing world in his interview on John Castsimatidis' radio show. He said he's not talking science fiction as the reality is artificial intelligence is rapidly advancing. He said automation threatens job security for American workers.
"Advancement of technology brings great benefits but also creates huge challenges," Bush said, as per Daily Mail. "People should be marching in the streets demanding that we change how we educate K-12, higher education, job training," he added.
Bush further stated President Trump and the Department of Education need not establish new policies for American schools. Instead, the government needed to have a "national consensus" and from there, Trump and his team under Betsy DeVos can devise new state standards in education.
Jeb Bush demands US education reform https://t.co/6i6MMhQlE6 pic.twitter.com/NfJuQBgIge
— The Voice Gh (@TheVoicegh) April 3, 2017
Bush was not far off when he stated jobs are on the line due to robots and artificial intelligence. PricewaterhouseCoopers conducted a study in March regarding the job market in 2030 in the U.K., as per its press release. It showed 30 percent of jobs could be cut due to automation and the situation may very well mirror the U.S. labor market.
Factories and industries around the world started using robots or machines to replace and accelerate menial tasks since the 1990s. Experts said that since then, at least six jobs become irrelevant every year.
Bush's statements came as President Trump assigned the ex-governor's former aide Carlos Muñiz as General Counsel to DeVos and the Education department, Ed Week reported. Muñiz graduated from University of Virginia and Yale Law School.
