Does digital transformation create or destroy jobs in public administrations?

How many times have we heard that digital transformation is destroying traditional employment? As happened a century and a half ago with the industrial revolution, the human being does not evolve in the same way as technology. It is true that digitization forces certain jobs to disappear, but that does not mean that jobs are disappearing.  Quite the opposite.

As Lavoisier said, “matter is neither created nor destroyed, it is simply transformed.”  as in thermodynamics happens today with employment. We must transform methods, conditions, efficiency and, above all, strengthen the future of work. We are going to analyse the situation focusing on this article especially on Public Administrations.

How does digital transformation impact on Public Administrations employment?

First, let’s make the concept clear. At VASS we understand that digital transformation is the sum of the application of digital capabilities to processes, products and assets. This improves efficiency, increases value, effectively manage risk, and new opportunities for revenue and profit generation.

The essence of a true transformation is not found in obtaining digital processes that provide more data, but in the ability to create new values ​​in different scenarios and with new raw material. Specifically, that new value, or those “new things,” are the ones that generate new jobs. New employees.

Technology or tradition? Although it may seem antagonistic, the answer to this duality is obtained simply by observing day to day work. Would you be able to work without the Internet? Or rather, can you imagine a non-digitized Public Administration? Social Security, Finance, Employment, Justice … It is unthinkable that the Public Administrations do not have an effective digitization in favour of citizens, and even less with civil servant not adapted to the new reality.

Job offers in the Public Administrations

According to the current Minister of Territorial Policy and Public Function, Miquel Iceta, there are three factors that have delayed the publication of this year’s public employment offer (OEP):

1. Setting the budget and the final recruitment figure according to the aid that comes from European funds.

2. To adjust the replacement rate.

3. To ensure that the official announcement is in line with the new system proposed by the government. Essentially, the Digitalization Plan of the Public Administrations 2021-2025.

A plan that guarantees a much higher number of new hires than in previous years. Who said transformation eliminates jobs? Not only does it not destroy it, but electronic Administration is becoming a fact:

• A structure that contains general and special actions grouped into axes and dependent on the labour organization.

• New digital objectives, specially designed for user experience, use of Gobtechlabs and even “smart” workstations.

• High impact projects that require new workers: digital justice, digitized medical records, financial fraud controls, etc.

• Cybersecurity.

• Digital transparency control in Public Administrations.

• Electronic ID.

Digital transformation is the great conditioning factor of change in the labour market. A new direction where the Public Administrations cannot remain on the side-lines. Digitization generates more jobs, and it is only necessary to invest in training to drive it forward. We already have the talent.