The Future of Jobs report, released in January by the World Economic Forum (WEF), makes for a great, edge-of-the-seat reading with its dire warnings. Mainly, the report discusses the Fourth Industrial Revolution, encompassing developments in fields such as artificial intelligence, robotics, nanotechnology, 3D printing and biotechnology. The WEF adds that widespread disruption to business models and labour markets over the next five years. This, in turn, will trigger an enormous change in the skill sets needed for a new landscape.
It’s imperative for students to acquire the extra skills that will give them an edge over their peers — or even become the next Mark Zuckerberg.
Flexible thinking
Cynthia Fuentes Ramos, a clinical psychologist at the Dubai Herbal and Treatment Centre who has worked with schools and students, insists the psychological impact of acquiring new skills is a flexible personality. “We can be open to more possibilities and ideas, which in turn may mean a more successful future.”
While children’s minds are very creative, she says it’s vital they find motivation on their own. “This means learning how to become a self-starter.” She advises parents to favourably reinforce all kinds of curiosity in children, as well as put them in touch with adults who can introduce them to new ideas and thinking.
Sanjay Mankani, Managing Director of Fortes Education, a school provider based in Dubai, also says it has become vital for students to cultivate critical and creative thinking, social and interpersonal skills, and an understanding of technology. “The fastest-growing jobs in the world today are those that combine these skills. If, for example, you are a computer scientist and are able to manage and lead a team of people, you will be in high demand. Tomorrow’s generation will do well with multiple intelligences and the ability to apply knowledge, think creatively, express oneself, persevere, work with others, and most importantly, learn.”
Byte into it
A great way to future-proof any career is to learn how software works — whether it is commanding robots, creating games, web and mobile apps, or even coding the next Facebook. And contrary to popular perception, learning to code has now morphed into a genuinely creative and fun activity for children. Sites such as Tynker.com and MIT’s Scratch and Code.org show how easy it is to play with code. Elsewhere, Google’s Made with Code project encourages girls to learn programming and lays the foundation for a future career in technology.
On the hardware side, a cheap development kit such as the Raspberry Pi 2, created to get children interested in programming, is available at Dh215 from Dubai-based Zero Ohm, which also offers training for newbies.
Soft skills
Leo Babuata, author of popular books like Zen to Done and Focus, lists nine essential skills for kids, starting with the desire to ask questions. “What we want most for our kids is to be able to learn on their own,” he writes on Zenhabit.net. “To teach themselves anything. Because if they can, then we don’t need to teach them everything — whatever they need to learn in the future, they can do on their own.” Other skills include problem-solving, a sense of independence and happiness in themselves. “If a child learns from an early age that he can be happy by himself, playing and reading and imagining, they have one of the most valuable skills,” he adds.
Babuata says compassion and tolerance show kids that “not only is it OK to be different but that differences should be celebrated, and that variety is what makes life so beautiful”. And finally, the ability to effectively deal with change will be a competitive advantage.
“We can’t give our children a set of data to learn [or] career to prepare for, when we don’t know what the future will bring. But we can prepare them to adapt to anything, to learn anything, to solve anything, and in about 20 years, to thank us for it.”