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The world is changing at a more rapid pace than ever before. Technology is altering the way that we live, work and play and AI are no longer for tomorrow’s world. With the such fast-paced change, schools are challenged with the task of preparing students for an uncertain future.
Key to this issue is identifying the challenges facing the world of today, what employers are seeking and how we can prepare young people for the future.
Technology is shifting the landscape of the workforce significantly. Our future will be shaped largely by advancements in machine learning. Changes to the way we work, however, are not limited to the use of technology. A study of over 10,000 people in 5 countries uncovered 4 other megatrends including demographic shifts, rapid urbanization, shifts in global economic power, and resource scarcity & climate change. It is predicted that each of these factors along with technology will create a workforce shift and create new jobs (PWC). Predicting the future is precarious, however, insights into possible scenarios provide us with a platform to help shape thinking and action in this space. In a report by Waterhouse Cooper (PWC) 4 likely future worlds have been described. A blue world dominated by capitalism where consumerism rules, workers are pushed to their limit and the gap between rich and poor grows. A red world that is ripe for innovation, where organizations and individuals race to give consumers what they want but innovation outpaces regulation and there is high risk. A green world where social responsibility and trust drive business and a yellow world where humanness is valued and social and community ventures flourish (PWC). It is highly likely that elements of all four of these worlds will exist in some way by 2030. Although we cannot be certain of the future, we do know that some of these elements in the blue and green worlds already exist and it will be up to today’s young people to shape future directions.
While some of this may seem years away, we can see change already taking place around us across multiple job sectors. Over the past 25 years, we have lost 400,000 laborers, 500,000 secretaries, clerks, and 100,000 machinery workers. On the other hand, we have gained 700,000 professionals and 400,000 workers in community services (2016, 2017 FYA). There has clearly been a consistent move away from roles with lower skills to those that involve interpersonal contact and higher-order skills. (2017 FYA). Further change is coming and it is estimated that over the next 10 years, 40% of jobs will be highly impacted by automation (2017 FYA). These momentous changes raise huge organisational challenges however they also provide massive opportunities which are already being realized (PWC paper). For example, automated assistants and chatbots are bringing about change in customer service and communication, intelligent financial technology is providing a more efficient and accountable finance sector and autonomous vehicles will revolutionize defense, security, and transport (CSIRO paper AI).
This fast-paced change in the workforce has a significant impact on young people. Young people are finding it more difficult to enter the workplace as they do not possess the skills required. The Foundation predicts that at present, 70% of young people are entering jobs that will be radically affected by automation. Increasing innovation across economies supports the rising need for people entering the workforce to contribute both technical skills as well as soft skills (OECD, 2017). This is evident in the shift in skills required in job advertisements between 2012-2016. The proportion of job advertisements requiring ‘critical thinking’ rose by 158%, ‘teamwork’ by 19%, and ‘creativity’ by 65% (FYA, 2016). Importantly, young people who have such skills gain employment 17 months faster than those who do not (ATAR paper, FYA 2018). To meet this demand, jobs of the future will require higher-order skills and most will require post-school qualifications, so all young people need to be prepared for a lifetime of learning after school. (ATAR, A case for change, 2019).
It is clear that the world we are now moving towards requires different skills from those of the past. In a longitudinal study of over 14,000 young people between 15 – 25 years old, using the longitudinal survey of youth data, 50% of young people believed they did not have the appropriate education to gain employment. This is also evident in those young people who have found work. One in four of university graduates report that they were not using their skills or education in their current employment (FYA 2018). This signifies a disparity between the education young people are receiving and the skills required for employment. This is further exacerbated by the reliance on ATAR for students to enter the tertiary study. Many students consider the achievement of a ‘good ATAR’ to be the goal of education, leading some young people to abandon their real interests to focus on achieving a score. This approach puts emphasis on achieving a high average in all subjects and fails to allow for recognition of students who excel in certain areas while performing adequately in others (ATAR 2019). The result creates a mismatch between young people’s aspirations and their outcomes and lost talent. Importantly, this number is not a reliable predictor of success in a future world where both deep content knowledge, as well as application of knowledge, is important.
So what are the skills that are required to thrive in a future world? There is no certainty as to what skills will be required in the future, however current shifts in the workplace provide us with a good indication that soft skills are in high demand (FYA, PWC). Additionally, we know that the world of work is becoming more agile and that technology and AI are on the rise. Where we are working to develop technology or work alongside it, human skills will be vital. Economists predict that machines will struggle to automate problem-solving, creative, and social intelligence tasks (FYA 2016). In a recent report by Firebrand, Aquent & Vitamin T (2019) who surveyed 2379 employees, 94% of those surveyed said that skills such as problem-solving, collaboration, adaptivity, emotional intelligence, and creativity are of equal importance or more to hard skills. They forecast that over the next 3-5 years adaptivity and emotional intelligence will become even more in demand. In fact, finding employees with the skills required to work in a future-focused environment has become one of the largest challenges for CEOs (PWC) with problem-solving, adaptability, collaboration, leadership, creativity, and innovation most desired. In order to acquire employees with these skills 52% of CEOs are exploring how machines and humans can work together and 39% are also already considering the impact of AI on the skills their company requires for the future. It is clear that workplaces are already acutely aware of the skills required to be successful and thriving.
Young people feel they are not prepared to meet the skill demand in the workforce and this provides a clear role for education to address these challenges. According to recent PISA results, one-third of 15-year-olds are not proficient in problem-solving, financial literacy, or digital literacy (PISA). Furthermore, only 1 in 10 teachers have recently participated in professional development to help students develop generic, transferable skills for the future workplace (FYA 2017). FYA (2017) suggests that we can better prepare young people for this world by rethinking the curriculum and how we teach it, developing teacher capacity, and partnering with employers. The Catalyst Lab Innovation program is working to effectively prepare young people for their future by leading the identification, shaping, and development of innovations and cutting-edge reforms that will ensure NSW schools and teachers and students have the knowledge skills, and abilities to prosper in the 21st century.
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