GSSC Leadership Team

I finished Year 12 in 1991. Depending on who you are in the College community, this either makes me very old, or (maybe!) still quite young. Of course, like many people, my school days still seem quite easy to recall, and don’t at all seem as long ago as the amount of years might suggest. Of course, the fact that Ed Sheeran was born in the same year perhaps dates me a bit. As recent as it might seem to me, one thing I can definitely say about that passage of time, from 1991 to now, is that the purpose of education has changed considerably.

When I went to school, while differentiated learning, student voice, metacognitive strategies, the importance of feedback, formative assessment and restorative practice may have, in isolation, been part of the practice of the odd teacher here and there, they were by no means the practice of all. The internet did not exist. We probably watched much more TV than our students do today (mainly because it was the only ‘screen’ that we had). We were limited though; our access to a globalised and connected world was very much less than it is now.

One thing is for sure though, the skills that we needed (or were thought to be needed) in the workplace nearly thirty years ago were very different to the skills that we know our young people will need today. 

Recently, I have re-read two reports that comment on the future of work both in Australia and throughout the western world. They make for interesting reading (the links are provided below). The University of Phoenix report titled Future Work Skills 2020 points out the disruptive societal shifts that are reshaping the landscape of our modern workforces today and into the future:

1. The rise of smart machines and systems. While technology has always had an impact upon the workplace, the presence of ‘smart’ technology will force us to consider what it is that makes humans unique. What is it, we must ask ourselves, that only humans can do?
2. Extreme Longevity. We are living longer than ever before, and this means our productive capacity is greater. Already we assume that by the time our students reach retirement age, it will be somewhere in the mid to late seventies.
3. Computational World. The rise of data based systems essentially requires that students have effective abilities to analyse and utilise sources of data.
4. New Media Technology. The way we now connect and communicate has changed permanently (I don’t think we need a report to tell us this!)
5. Super structured organisations. Social connectivity enables us to work and achieve outside of traditional organisational boundaries. Information is more widely available than ever before.
6. Globally connected world. Traditional economical and geographical limits no longer apply. This can lead to greater competition for western nations, but also, of course, to greater opportunities too.

What does this mean for our students, or for us as parents and teachers? The report notes ten skill areas that it considers crucial to success in this changing workplace:

1. Sense making. While a smart machine can be programmed or automated to replace humans in a number of areas, artificial intelligence (AI) is not yet at the point that it can determine deeper meanings and understandings, or assess significance.
2. Social Intelligence. As we will be connecting to greater amounts of people throughout our lives and working careers, the social skills we need are more significant, not less.
3. Novel & Adaptive Thinking. The ability to think ‘outside the box’, with creativity and innovation will become even more valuable. Rote learning defeats this purpose. Open ended problem solving is the key.
4. Cross cultural competency. Either physically, or virtually, in a globalised world our students could find themselves working with a diverse range of people and backgrounds.
5. Computational thinking. The ability to analyse data, in its many forms, and to make inferences from that data.
6. New media literacy. The ability to think critically, and to assess a given piece of information for its validity.
7. Transdisciplinary. The ability to be literate and to understand concepts in a number of different disciplines (or subject areas).
8. Design Mindset. The ability to develop new solutions for as yet undiscovered problems; to be able to adjust ones thinking depending on the circumstances at the time.
9. Cognitive Load Management. With a variety of different information sources at our fingertips, we need to be able to filter information in terms of its importance and usefulness.
10. Virtual Collaboration. Working with others, virtually, over potentially great geographical (or cultural) difference.

The implications for both schools and individual students are clear. In the education sector, we might need to think about how we can place greater emphasis on critical thinking, and the ability to analyse information. We need to integrate, rather than ignore, new media and focus on digital literacy. 

Prominence must be given to those key social skills: the ability to collaborate, to work in groups, to read social signals and cues, and to respond adaptively to a diverse range of people. We perhaps also need to think less in terms of specific isolated subject areas, and more in terms of interdisciplinary training that integrates knowledge and skills from a range of subjects. 

Our students (your children), will need to primarily be adaptive. They will need to recognise that the workplace that they enter will be one of constant change. They will always need to be learners, and will have to reassess their knowledge and skills to meet new and diverse needs and requirements. In short, they will need to be adaptable, lifelong learners.

I don’t know how I would go being one of our young people today. They face challenges that, while not necessarily better or worse, are definitely different to the challenges faced by many of us (teachers and parents) when we were young. 

Our joint role, of course, is to support them in this as best we can, and prepare them for a world that is in a constant state of flux. 

I encourage you to read the full report and one from an Australian perspective titled ‘The New Work Order’. They each provide a valuable insight into the world our young people are currently preparing themselves to enter. It might be the basis of a productive conversation with your child, either now or in the future.

http://www.iftf.org/uploads/media/SR-1382A_UPRI_future_work_skills_sm.pdf

http://www.fya.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/The-New-Work-Order-FINAL-low-res-2.pdf

Jon Neall

Campus Principal - Wanganui 

The Leadership Team

Greater Shepparton Secondary College