Does automation influence career decisions among South African students?

The potential impact of rapidly advancing automation technologies on the demand for human labour has emerged as a prominent discourse in mainstream and academic media. In this study we advance this line of inquiry by determining the extent to which automation influences the career decisions of university students. 935 undergraduate students at a large, research-oriented university completed a survey which addresses level of awareness of automation, beliefs about automation, as well as the factors and sources of influence which impact career decisions. Our findings suggest that, while most students perceive themselves to be well informed about automation, and generally believe that machines will displace human labour, they do not consider their own future occupations to be susceptible to automation. Accordingly, few students consider automation as a factor when making career decisions.