Paul Hopkins

The Fact OfThe Matter

PAUL HOPKINS PAUL HOPKINS

When we grow up, this is what we could be ...

THE future of the workplace will be digital, with the ‘new normal’ in the post-Covid era shaped more de nitively by technology than any other consideration. Every aspect of our lives, from wellbeing to work, and all in between, will be massively ‘disrupted’ – that is changed – in the coming years, thanks to technology.

Speci cally, the way people work and interact with their workplaces and the way companies operate will see big changes.

Location-independent jobs have become de-facto in the current pandemic wherein modern tools, technologies and telecoms have provided the ability to work from anywhere. Surveys, here and globally, show that companies expect about 40% of their employees to follow a remoteworking model in the future. Or, more likely, a combination of home, hybrid and the workplace.

A greater number of jobs done remotely will likely see a bigger percentage of the population participate in what was otherwise location restrictive and favoured cities and large towns. Employers will also gain as they will have access to a wider reservoir of talent. Work in the future will become ‘smarter’ as Arti cial Intelligence (AI) and human/ machine collaboration will take over repetitive and routine tasks, thereby freeing employees to focus on more meaningful work. Robotics and automation can also play a stellar role in surgery and life-saving technology. Also, in augmenting or replacing we humans in highrisk situations, like the frontline of the current pandemic, and in disaster recovery.

For our young people just nished exams and looking to third level courses or perhaps an apprenticeship, it might be worth considering what kind of new jobs this soon-to-be, postpandemic world will be o ering, given AI, remote working and having to live in a world perhaps populated by intermittent viruses.

How about a job as a Work From Home Facilitator? Before now, it’s estimated that less than 5% of companies had remote policies. Now, with the full post-pandemic expectation that remote work remains the norm, companies want to apply lessons learned to further optimise workingfrom-home. Far from being a futuristic job of tomorrow, WFH are being sought now by global tech companies, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Or how about a Fitness Commitment Counsellor? We despair at the extra pounds packed on during months of pandemic-induced lockdown. To remedy the situation, preventative approaches like our digital Apple watches and FitBits allow for our own accountability in getting t again. But many of us, lacking the will-power or determination, need a minder. Fitness Commitment Counsellors are your new VBF, according to the global Cognisant Jobs of the Future (CJoF) Index.

Among the well-heeled and a uent, there is a big demand for Smart Home Design Managers, according to Interiors magazine. A lasting lesson of the pandemic for many is that “everyone’s home is their castle”. e rise of Smart Home Design Managers will boom as the homes of the rich and the top brass are built – or retro tted – with dedicated home o ce spaces, replete with routers in the right places, soundproo ng, separate voiceoperated entrances, and even Gorilla Glass wall screens.

One could make a tidy sum in this profession, as could you in its sister profession — a Workplace Environment Architect, which is kind of self-explanatory.

Or what about becoming a Data Detective, Sherlock? Openings for data scientists remains one of the fastest growing job in the tech-heavy ‘Algorithms, Automation and AI’ family of the CJoF Index since its inception, and has continued to see 42% growth in the three quarters of this year.

Or how about a HumanMachine Teaming Manager who keeps people and robots in good form as they work in seamless collaborations?

Meantime, if my Editor turns down my request for a pay rise, I’m packing it in and am going to take on a job as a Cyber Calamity Forecaster – the title just conjures up such intrigue and malice.

Aside from Covid-19, it’s arguable that the other, big catastrophe of the last year was the continued onslaught of both massive cyberattacks like on our own HSE, down to individuals promulgating ransomware exploits. My new job would be to forecast events like these and kick ass, big time.

Now, I’m not yet sure of how I would go about this but I am up for learning about being a forecaster of doom and gloom.

Hmmm... Not a million miles from being a journalist, I hear you say...

‘Access to a wider reservoir of talent... ”

Data centres may fall victim to winter power shortage

THE country’s power system operator has warned that electricity supply will be tight during winter.

But Mark Foley, EirGrid CEO, said that “if an emergency is declared”, data centres “will be a rst port of call” to reduce energy consumption.

He told an Oireachtas committee that those centres would switch to on-site power generators.

“I think they have stepped up to the plate... and we can call on them this winter,” he told the Joint Committee on Environment and Climate Action.

EirGrid has had extensive engagement with the sector, Mr Foley said.

“We are happy with the response we got”, he added.

He also forecast that energy demand will increase across the country by at least 28% over this decade. is is driven by economic growth, data centres, electri cation and home heating, he said. e EirGrid CEO added that data centres account for around 30% of total energy demand. Mr Foley said that a gure of 70% which has been mentioned in some quarters “has no basis”.

He said that older generators with “reliability problems” would continue to be taken o ine for essential repairs over the coming months.

New funding for range of local energy projects

THE Government has allocated significant funding through for a range of community and home energy projects across Co. Kilkenny.

Recipients of the grants, which are administered by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI), include public sector projects, sports facilities, community buildings and local businesses and homes:

Examples of the local grants include: *Proposals by Kilkenny County Council for a lighting upgrade with heating controls at Machinery Yard, Hebron Industrial Estate; *Insulation upgrade to roof and piping and heating controls at Kilkenny County Hall; *Lighting upgrade at Thomastown Scouts Den; *Lighting and refrigeration upgrades at Iverk, Piltown;

*A PV system with heat pump for Kilkenny Tennis Club club house; *Lighting upgrades at Ballyhale Shamrocks GAA and Carrishshock GAA.

Announcing the funding, Kilkenny TD John Paul Phelan said: “This important Government investment will deliver energy upgrades to homes and community and commercial buildings across Kilkenny and Carlow.

“Recipients will benefit from warmer buildings that are better for their health as well as more efficient buildings that will ensure lower energy bills.

“Overall this funding will lead to a reduction in harmful CO2 emissions. As per the Government’s ambitious Climate Action Plan, communities play a central role in achieving our climate action ambitions, ” he said.

Lovely hurling in PJ’s volume

FIVE stories from Co Kilkenny have been selected to appear in a fascinating new book on the GAA – written by people at the heart of the association nationwide.

‘Grassroots: Stories From e Heart Of e GAA’, is a treasure trove of GAA memories, tales and incidents spanning over 150 years.

“ e book generated an incredible response from every county in Ireland, as well as from the Irish abroad,” said author and journalist, PJ Cunningham, who collaborated with Croke Park on the publication.

Callan-born Joe Kearney gives a compelling account of why envy is a deadly sin when, as a young boy in national school, his best friend won a state-of-the-art hurley, much to his chagrin — and later explains how a neighbour helped to redress the balance.

Windgap native Dermot O’Brien provides the collection with a captivating tale of how a juvenile football match was turned around in their favour thanks to a wily mentor spotting that there was only one ball available between the two teams.

Joan Cleere from omastown gives an exclusive view into ‘the life and times of being a wag’ with the successful Kilkenny hurling team of the 1960’s, while Jamesie Murphy’s vignettes on Tullogher will leave readers with broad smiles on their faces. A TEENAGER was taken to hospital by ambulance after he was attacked by a group of men near Kilkenny Castle, not long after another man in his 20s was attacked in a similar incident at the same location.

A local Garda spokesperson confirmed: “A man in his late teens was approached by a group of men, and he received a number of punches to the head. He was taken to hospital by ambulance.”

The victim suffered a fractured jaw in the attack.

Gardai are investigating the incident. They have asked that anyone with information about the attack to contact Kilkenny Garda Station on 056 777 5000.

Local ladies take home coveted Granard Cup

A BIG congratulations to Mary Murphy and Mags Duggan from Kilkenny Golf Club who won the Granard Cup All-Ireland nal of the HolmPatrick Cup and Granard Cup, held by the National Council for the Blind of Ireland (NCBI). Now in its 90th year, men from nine clubs from around Ireland competed to lift the HolmPatrick Cup and win a trip of a lifetime to StAndrews in Scotland. Also competing on the day were ladies from nine clubs for the Granard Cup and a trip to St Andrew.

Both competitions are the longest-running and largest charity golf tournament in Ireland.

Starting in 1932, it is named after Edina Conyngham, Baroness HolmPatrick, who donated the trophy to NCBI at its inauguration. e Baroness was a granddaughter of the Duke of Wellington. e tournament is a wellestablished highlight in the calendar of golf clubs around the country. e All-Ireland nal took place in the north Dublin Balbriggan Golf Club, with 18 teams in total taking part. Despite the blustery weather conditions and new gol ng rules, J.J Kelly and Fergus Rothwell from Mulranny Golf Club triumphantly took the HolmPatrick cup for the men, while

A BIG congratulations to Mary Murphy and Mags Duggan from Kilkenny Golf Club who won the Granard Cup. Chris White, NCBI CEO ,said: “ is is the oldest golf charity tournament in the country with the tting prize being to play on the oldest golf course in the world in St.Andrews, Scotland. e funds raised today will assist NCBI continue to deliver frontline services to people living with sight loss. ank you to all who participated this year.”

Teen attack fractures jaw

Paul Reid takes lead in health asco shakeup

CHANGES will be made to the governance structure of Sláintecare in the wake of recent high-level resignations, as the Government’s commitment to universal healthcare remains “absolute and unwavering”, according to Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly,

Part of this change will see the top civil servant in the Department of Health and Health Service, Executive

CEO Paul Reid (pictured below), co-chair the new Sláintecare programme board. e minister also intends to set up a taskforce to tackle waiting lists modelled on the vaccine taskforce “that has worked so well” in the past year.

Along with Secretary General of the Department of Health Robert Watt, Mr Donnelly is due to address the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Health regarding the implementation of the health service reform programme.

Sláintecare arose from an all-party consensus to reform the health service, but the recent resignations have led to claims that the requirements to achieve this change are lacking.

Laura Magahy, the full-time Executive Director of Sláintecare, and Professor Tom Keane, the Chairperson of the Council, resigned in September. Professor Anthony O’Connor resigned from the Sláintecare Implementation Advisory Council two weeks ago.