What is technology?
- the application of scientific knowledge for practical
- purposes, especially in industry.
- “advances in computer technology”
- machinery and equipment developed from the
- application of scientific knowledge.
- “it will reduce the industry’s ability to spend money on
- new technology
Uses of Technology
1=Reviews by Ms Gillian Weavall of Aberdeen University: The branch of knowledge dealing with engineering Ms Gillian Weavall of Aberdeen University said the highest density of tech jobs were in sectors that are based in cities.
She added: “Young adults and older people, it’s those who want to be connected to the world around them and be adaptable.
“If people can build businesses out of that then great.”
She said it was unclear if their earnings or employments were boosted by being in the digital sector, but added: “We think it would be the case that people who move into the digital sector have greater prospects for future employment.
“It doesn’t mean the people who are in the tech industry are necessarily the richest, we’re just saying that’s where there are the most jobs.”
Summer jobs ‘devalued’
Ms Weavall said technology was allowing people to communicate with one another “in different ways” to older forms of communication.
She added: “There are challenges – for example, children going to summer jobs and finding that they’re devalued.
“What happens is you’re made redundant from traditional employment and you’re not compensated for your experience.
“People who find themselves on a low income don’t necessarily have the opportunity to go to university, if they don’t have money to get to a job interview, and then they’re not getting paid for their time.”
She said young people in rural areas or deprived areas were being put off applying for those jobs.
However, Mr Costello said the digital sector does have “an impact on the labour market”.
“There are things we’ve noticed in recent years which I would say are largely attributed to the digital economy,” he said.
“One of the things that the tech industry does and it has in the past is people move from other areas of employment to working in the tech industry.
“Particularly in the past few years, there’s a much higher demand for software developers and IT engineers.”
2=Mr Costello: said universities were starting to add classes in such fields, and urged others to do the same.
‘Good experience’
Ms Baker said she experienced a high degree of economic success in her life in Aberdeen – which she said she attributed to her upbringing in the city.
She added: “If you’re not very good at maths, technology can be quite daunting at first and it takes a little time to get used to it.
“But it can open up the world to you.”
Ms Baker said she believed people should be encouraged to do a degree in technology because it had good-quality jobs in it.
She said she was now working as a legal assistant.
3=Aberdeen City Council leader Jenny Laing: said the city had been “fuelling the Scottish economy for decades” and that the city’s “resilience and people skills” were well recognised.
She said the council had “adapted to the times” in a bid to help it continue to grow and develop in the future.
“Although our economy is changing, our approach to economic development has never changed,” she said.
“Aberdeen is a city that thrives on diversity, innovation and
Final Thoughts
What is information technology? It is an ongoing
evolution of hardware, software, storage, networking,
infrastructure, and processes to create, process, store,
secure, and exchange all forms of electronic data in
increasingly innovative ways. Information technology
in modern times has been evolving at an increasingly
blistering place over the past few decades. Though it
is possible to structure this progression into five
discrete stages, there are quite a few overlaps and
crossovers, like in the case of the resilient mainframe,
for instance. Today, information technology has
become so pervasive and consequential that every
company today is considered to be in the business of
technology. Information technology stands poised at
the cusp of going…
