Abstract
The disruption associated with the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) has fundamentally changed the way individuals live and work. Higher education institutions (HEIs) serve a significant role in shaping the future through advancing knowledge and promoting social development among generations of people and consist of a diverse workforce divided mainly into academic and support staff, all working towards attaining an institution’s strategic goals. The emergence of 4IR has led to numerous viewpoints and assumptions about replacing human beings with advanced automation such as that achieved through robotics. The impact of COVID-19 has included being perceived as a catalyst of change. It led to our country going through five stages of lockdown aimed at curbing the spread of the disease. The world of work changed due to the lockdown regulations specified by governments and the World Health Organisation. The presence of 4IR, accelerated by the impact of COVID-19, has led to staff working remotely and rely on the technologies necessitated by 4IR.
The purpose of this study was to investigate support staff’s perceptions of the skills needed to operate effectively within 4IR and to understand those skill needs and their development. The research followed a qualitative approach and included a case study of one HEI. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews with 21 interviewees employed as senior faculty officers and head of faculty administration. These interviewees were purposively selected to achieve an adequate range of meaning saturation. Thematic content analysis with the support of Atlas.ti software was used to analyse the data. Five themes were created, namely technological advancement, innovative technological tools, COVID-19 driving force, human-centric skills, and skills development.
The findings of the study highlight the perceptions of support staff in relation to 4IR, the relevance of the pillars of 4IR and the skills required within 4IR. The study highlights the need for HEIs to develop the necessary skills of support staff through training programmes that would equip them to operate effectively within the context of 4IR.
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This study contributes to the body of knowledge as it uncovers the perceptions of 4IR held by HEI support staff and the skills relevant to their work under 4IR conditions. The HEI under study may benefit as the findings of the study could alert support staff to the changes brought by 4IR, the skills required, the developmental opportunities for remaining competitive, and the relevance of 4IR tools.