It is not new to hear the phrase “the jobs that our children will do in future aren’t even existing today.” It is something you would hear employment commentators say a decade ago, if not further back. However, it is an expression that is particularly relevant today.
The Digital Revolution is a true revolution that profoundly impacts how we live, work and play. We are not slowing down in the technology revolution. It is therefore not surprising that employers, parents, and educators all ask the same question: How can we prepare our children for tomorrow’s workplace?
Although it is impossible to predict the future, we can give general (but very sensible!) advice that will be helpful for our children in the future.
What are the predictions for the future?
The workplace is always changing. The Gig Economy and the rise of the freelance, casual or contractor worker have drastically changed the employment landscape. Workers are moving from one job to another more frequently than ever before. These trends will only continue.
Artificial Intelligence, automation and robots have such an impact on the future of work that it was the subject of the 2016 World Economic Forum study. According to the World Economic Forum’s “Future of Jobs”, as many as 5 million jobs could be lost due to automation by 2020, according to their study.
According to estimates, 65% of primary school students today will be working in jobs that don’t exist yet.
Unpredictability is made worse by the rapid pace of change.
This workplace revolution, which is currently underway, will be the most significant in employment history.
It is the increasing speed of change that is most significant. Consider the rise and fall of Facebook. There are many others. Airbnb is the largest room-booking platform in the world. It doesn’t even own any hotels. It’s not even ten years old. Uber has, however, outperformed its previous troubles to become the largest taxi service in the world in a little over ten years.
Perhaps the best example of the potential of apps is the story of Pokemon GO. It took only 2 months for the game to reach 50 million users. In just one year, it earned more than $ 1 billion in revenue.
Learning is the key to the future.
Learning is the key to the future and how well today’s students will be able to take on new jobs and the keys to the future of education. This should not be surprising, as it is what school children do!
Children must also have ‘learnability’. This is a desire to learn, a skill in picking up new items, and a passion for constantly improving their skills.
The future will require skills in mathematics and computer science. It is also important to learn soft skills such as empathy, cooperation, and social and technical skills. Future workers will need to be able to communicate, negotiate, and move quickly and seamlessly from one job to another. Soft skills are vital.
We don’t know what the future holds, so it is important for children to learn how to learn and update their skills.
Promoting a passion for learning at school and at home is possible. Parents and teachers must instil this passion in their children.
