10th International Congress on Information and Communication Technology in concurrent with ICT Excellence Awards (ICICT 2025) will be held at London, United Kingdom | February 18 - 21 2025.
Authors - Lloyd L.K. Modimogale, Jan H. Kroeze, Corne J. van Staden Abstract - The paper presents the results of a quantitative study examining the impact of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) on the South African coal mining sector, specifically focusing on reskilling. As mechanization and digital technologies increasingly permeate the industry, this study investigates the implications for employment and skill requirements among coal miners. Data on job displacement rates, skill sets, and reskilling initiatives within the coal mining workforce were collected using statistical analysis. The findings indicate a significant decline in demand for traditional low-skilled job roles, highlighting the urgent need for reskilling programs to facilitate workforce adaptation to new technological demands. The study aims to understand how coal miners view the impact of digitalization on the coal mine and the management of the reskilling process. The research highlights the need for proactive measures to mitigate job insecurity and ensure that workers remain relevant in a rapidly changing economic environment, thus contributing to the broader discourse on sustainable labor practices within the mining sector.
