We live in a world of rapid change. New industries are constantly emerging, old ones become obsolete. Report World Economic Forum showed that almost 65% of jobs, which prepares graduates of the senior classes in the future will cease to exist. Labor force and our knowledge is rapidly changing and evolving. In combination with the effects of technological automation of jobs, there is an important question: what skills will be needed for future generations?
An expert in the field of education Tony Wagner all his life put on the answer to this question. Exploring the education segment, interviewing industry leaders and studying the global workforce, Wagner identified seven survival skills in the future. These are the skills that will be necessary for people to reach their full potential.
Critical thinking and problem solving
We spend a lot of time teaching students how to answer questions, but neglect learning how to ask questions. Ask question — good question — it is imperative for critical thinking. Before you can solve the problem, you should be able to critically analyze and ask what led to this problem. Therefore, critical thinking and problem solving often go hand in hand.
Wagner notes that the workforce is organized today is not as it was a few years ago. Now we see that the specific problems are different groups, not individuals. Now the Manager has no answers to all the questions — will have to work to find them.
First of all, it is these skills that set the stage for innovation. We need to be able to question the status quo and criticize it, so we can innovate and to prescribe alternatives.
Capture collaboration and leadership influence
One of the major trends today is the growth of the contingent workforce. Over the next five years is volatile and remote workers are expected to account for 40% of the total workforce in the average company. We see a growing percentage of full-time employees working on the cloud. Multinational corporations allow employees to work in different offices across the globe.
Technologies allow to work and collaborate with people without boundaries, and this is extremely interesting. But digital communication between networks and individuals from vastly different backgrounds shows that our young people need to prepare for him. According to the report on education New Horizons, we should see a growing global focus on collaborative working in a network, where “to support curriculum use digital tools and promoted intercultural understanding.”
In this context, the leadership within the team ceases to be top-down power structure, from the leader to subordinates, but rather leadership influence. Teams work towards a common goal, submitting to a specific leader, but rather driving under the influence of certain parts of the team.
Agility and adaptability
We live in a complex world of ambition and uncertainty. It is extremely important to be able to adapt and Refine the strategy. Our education working and thinking for years to adjust to the routine and highly regulated procedures. We learned how to do something once and then did it again and again. Training has become a habit. But what if the training never ends? We would be comfortable to work in such conditions?
In the post-industrial era, the impact of technology means that we need to be flexible and adaptive to unpredictable consequences of progress. We have to learn on the fly and constantly adjust your skills, abandoning the obsolete and unnecessary.
Initiative and resourcefulness
Traditionally students take the initiative in addition to working at the University. For most students develop a sense of initiative and entrepreneurial skills is often a part of their extracurricular activities. Focusing on short-term tests and knowledge, most training programs were not developed to inspire innovators and creators.
Are we teaching young leadership? Encourage to take the initiative? The push for the solution of global problems? Wagner found that even in the corporate environment business leaders can’t easily find employees who will constantly seek new opportunities, ideas and strategies for implementation.
Effective oral and written communication
A study by the Partnership for 21st Century Skills has shown that about 89% of respondents among employers believe high school graduates, applicants who have unsatisfactory communication skills.
Clear communication is not only a question of correct use of language and grammar. In many ways, communication is the continuation of clear thinking. Can you intelligently Express their arguments? Can passionately inspire others? Could you briefly summarize the main points of what is trying to say? Can sell or advertise the product?
Billionaire entrepreneur Richard Branson once said, “Communication is the most important skill for any leader.” And noted that this skill can be learned, and it opens a lot of possibilities.
Evaluation and analysis of information
We live in the information age. Every day we create 2.5 trillion bytes of data. That’s 10 million Blu-ray discs.
Although our access to information has been significantly simplified, and simplified our access to misinformation. Wandering in the digital world, very few learned how to evaluate the source and content of the information to which they have access. In addition, the information in our database is evolving faster than we can update.
In addition, in the era of fake news active and informed citizen simply must be able to pass information from a variety of sources through a critical lens.
Curiosity and imagination
Curiosity is a powerful engine for the search of new knowledge and innovation. This is a continuation of the children’s skills of fear and surprise on the background of the world we present infinitely better. You need a powerful imagination to see breakthroughs and bring people to them. Albert Einstein would say that imagination is more important than knowledge.
We consistently feed students with a spoon with the information, instead of encourage them to ask questions and find answers. Skill to think outside of their little world should be educated in exactly the same way as physics or mathematics is taught in school.
7 important skills for the future
Ilya Hel