Digital and Emerging Technologies and the Future of Work

This S4YE Note analyzes the importance of the fashion industry for socio-economic growth and examines its potential as a source of job opportunities for young people. It discusses jobs along the industry’s value chain, its contribution to global revenues and trade, and its evolution with changes in technology, environmental concerns, and changing consumption patterns. The note also highlights the skills required for jobs in the fashion industry and presents analysis to support the claim that the industry is a key driver of jobs for youth and women.

Hollywood actors were on strike over concerns about the use of AI, but for as little as $300, Meta and a company called Realeyes hired them to make avatars appear more human.

This Discussion Note is part of the S4YE series focusing on the design and implementation of youth employment programs. The Note focuses on the creative and cultural industries and delves into how the advent of disruptive technology is likely to transform businesses, create new jobs and change the nature of existing ones that are part of creative and cultural industries. The Note discusses three main types of technologies that are increasingly being adapted across creative economy sectors: Artificial intelligence (AI), Cloud and Blockchain, Augmented and Virtual
Reality (AR/VR). 

The Goethe-Institut Jordan initiated the takween Product Design Fellowship programme as part of the Cultural and Creative Industries project. The programme offers a hands-on training for product designers and digital designers to enhance their skills and develop innovative sustainable ideas for the modern market.

As part of the Cultural and Creative Industries project, the Goethe-Institut and  Africa Beyond 4IR (AB4IR), a non-profit organisation that aims to bridge the digital and gender gaps in access to technology in South African townships, co-developed Drone Divas. The four-to-six-week Drone Divas  training is a very successful collaboration between the training organisation and the private sector as internships form an integral part of the programme.

What does it mean to be a creative entrepreneur and how can you establish yourself in the market as a creator? The perFORM Music Incubator is a music business and artist development project in Kenya initiated as part of the project  Cultural and Creative Industries to support music creators in building sustainable careers.

Although the music sector in Senegal is a promising source of income, the musicians and sound engineers are mostly self-taught. The event and music sectors in the country lack vocational education and training offers. As a result, the quality of products or services within the music industry often lag behind international standards and professionals in the industry do not receive national recognition.

The production and distribution of film and audiovisual works is one of the most dynamic growth sectors in the world. Thanks to digital technologies, production has been growing rapidly in Africa in recent years. The case of "Nollywood", with about 2,500 films made each year, is emblematic in this respect. It has enabled the emergence of a local industry of production and distribution with its own economic model. Yet across most of the continent, the economic potential of the film and audiovisual sectors remains largely untapped.

While music rights holders are collectively being remunerated more than ever before, the (re)distribution of revenue in the music streaming value chain remains extremely uneven and opaque. When the COVID-19 pandemic curtailed live performance opportunities, it became clear that despite the success of music streaming, the great majority of artists remain unable to rely on digital revenues alone to sustain their livelihoods.

Digitisation is a must rather than an option and lately digitalised collections have proved themselves to be valuable resources in a crisis. However, the digitisation process often comes with persistent financial difficulties, several legal uncertainties and a clear need of adequate skill development. Based on its survey findings, NEMO and its Working Group Digitalisation and IPR offer recommendations to EU policy makers on the one hand, and to national museum organisations and museums on the other hand, to help museums on their way to digitalised collections.