Disadvantage: job losses and lost skills

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Date:

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Quick Questions

Shade in the A or B circle for each question.

1. A factory installs robots to do the jobs that workers used to do. What is a likely disadvantage?

A The factory will need more workers doing the same tasks

B Some workers may lose their jobs, causing unemployment

2. A railway company introduces driverless trains. Which statement describes a disadvantage?

A Train drivers may lose their jobs

B The trains can only run during the day

3. Which is a disadvantage of automation for workers who keep their jobs in a company?

A They may need retraining to do new roles

B They never need to learn anything new

4. Over time, a company relies on machines for most tasks. What can happen to its workforce's practical skills?

A Fewer people keep the practical skills

B More people gain practical skills by doing nothing

5. Which is the better exam answer for a disadvantage of automation?

A Machines are expensive to buy

B Machines can replace workers, so there is unemployment

Match the Pairs

Draw a line connecting each item on the left to its match on the right.

Left column		Right column
1job losses		Aretraining needed
2lost skills		BAutomated systems can replace workers, so some people become unemployed
3Workers displaced by automation need retraining to move into new roles		Cdriverless train replaces drivers
4A driverless train replaces the drivers who used to operate the trains		DWrong because when machines do the tasks, fewer people practise and keep practical skills, so skills are lost.
5Automation never affects jobs because machines always create more work for the same staff		EWrong because automated systems can replace workers, causing unemployment. Some roles are lost, and the remaining staff may need retraining.
6Machines do the work, so people will keep all of their practical skills		FFewer people keep practical skills because machines now do the work

Definitions

job losses

Fill in the Blanks

Complete each line of code by filling in the missing parts.

IF driverless = TRUE ____ jobsLost ← jobsLost + 1 ENDIF

jobsLost ← oldStaff _ newStaff

IF jobsLost > 0 THEN ______ "Retrain staff" ENDIF

IF practicalSkills _ neededSkills THEN OUTPUT "Skills lost" ENDIF

unemployment ← unemployment _ 1

Spot the Error

Shade in the letter of the line that contains an error.

Question 1

A drivers ← 50

B robots ← 10

C drivers ← drivers + robots

D OUTPUT drivers

Question 2

A IF driverless = TRUE

B drivers ← drivers - 1

C OUTPUT 'Driver job lost'

D ENDIF

Question 3

A FOR i ← 1 TO 3

B OUTPUT 'Retrain worker

C NEXT i

Question 4

A machine ← TRUE

B IF machine = FALSE THEN

C practising ← FALSE

D ENDIF

Question 5

A PROCEDURE Retrain(name)

B OUTPUT 'Retrain ' name

C ENDPROCEDURE

Answer Key

Disadvantage: job losses and lost skills

Section A: Quick Questions

B — Some workers may lose their jobs, causing unemployment

A — Train drivers may lose their jobs

A — They may need retraining to do new roles

A — Fewer people keep the practical skills

B — Machines can replace workers, so there is unemployment

Section B: Match the Pairs

job losses → Automated systems can replace workers, so some people become unemployed

lost skills → Fewer people keep practical skills because machines now do the work

Workers displaced by automation need retraining to move into new roles → retraining needed

A driverless train replaces the drivers who used to operate the trains → driverless train replaces drivers

Automation never affects jobs because machines always create more work for the same staff → Wrong because automated systems can replace workers, causing unemployment. Some roles are lost, and the remaining staff may need retraining.

Machines do the work, so people will keep all of their practical skills → Wrong because when machines do the tasks, fewer people practise and keep practical skills, so skills are lost.

Section C: Definitions

job losses — Automated systems can replace workers, causing unemployment, and fewer people keep practical skills. Retraining is needed. Example: a driverless train replacing drivers.

Section D: Fill in the Blanks

IF driverless = TRUE THEN
   jobsLost ← jobsLost + 1
ENDIF

jobsLost ← oldStaff - newStaff

IF jobsLost > 0 THEN
   OUTPUT "Retrain staff"
ENDIF

IF practicalSkills < neededSkills THEN
   OUTPUT "Skills lost"
ENDIF

unemployment ← unemployment + 1

Section E: Spot the Error

C — Machines replace workers, so the number of drivers should go down. It should be drivers ← drivers - robots, not +.

A — An IF statement needs THEN at the end of the condition line. It should be IF driverless = TRUE THEN.

B — The text to output is missing its closing quote mark. It should be OUTPUT 'Retrain worker'.

B — People stop practising a skill when a machine does the task. The condition should check machine = TRUE, so the skill loss follows from the machine doing the work.

B — Items in an OUTPUT statement must be separated by a comma. It should be OUTPUT 'Retrain ', name.