Essay On Skills And Skills

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Technology and skill levels: a model essay To what extent has technology had a negative impact on the skill levels of people? (A-level 2010 question) by Steven Ooi With their amazing ingenuity, human beings have for centuries conceived, invented and designed machine after machine to make their lives easier and satisfy their desires. Machines act as multipliers of human ability that allow people to accomplish more in life. It is ironic, however, that in creating machines that are ever more useful, Man has made himself ever less useful. Machines have made human beings redundant in many lines of work, and even where humans are still needed in the production of goods and delivery of services, their levels of skill have largely declined. It may be true that more advanced technology has created a need for new, high-tech skills which have replaced many of the old skills. However, it is this writer’s contention that the new skills pale in comparison with the old skills in terms of the level of intricacy and finesse. Hence I believe…show more content…
Across a wide swathe of industries, the role of human beings has been minimised as machines take over a myriad of functions. In manufacturing, processes from the slicing of potatoes to the soldering of computer chips have been automated. In the aviation sector, today’s pilots rarely fly their aircraft manually, but rather through a highly sophisticated ‘fly-by-wire’ system which uses an electronic interface; flight control computers determine how to control the actuators to provide the desired response. Commands from the computers are even input without the pilot’s knowledge. With autopilot systems, pilots are often actively involved only in the takeoff and landing phases of flight. While a pilot’s skill is called upon in a crisis situation or when the avionics fail, these are only exceptional situations – the level of skill required of the pilot is considerably lower than
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