It’s not everyday that organizations as large and prestigious as the Brookings Institution opt for complete, albeit positive, disruption. That’s why when over a year ago strategists at Zago sat down with team members from the Center for Universal Education (CUE) to learn what was new in the world of global education, we were shocked by the scale of their ambition and dove right into one of their upcoming projects. Skills for a Changing World is a global initiative that seeks to transform education systems around the world as well as shift perspectives on skills and quality learning, using evidence and research. With this new effort, CUE is advancing an agenda around skills that prioritizes competencies as important as collaboration, creativity, and communication, but that are misrepresented by unfortunate labels like “soft” or “non-cognitive”. The project investigates these skills along with others like critical thinking, technology literacy, and executive function to make the case to policymakers, administrators, and the public in general that breadth of skills are necessary for changing social and economic landscapes.
Evidence that supports action is needed now more than ever. It seems clear that learning and skills lay at the center of complex economic, security, and environmental challenges that every country faces. Some may call these mounting problems an expression of late-stage capitalism, but to be less political I will generically refer to them as one of the biggest quagmires of human history.
As the world is being transformed by the third industrial revolution, this one digital, we face unprecedented pressures on our natural environment and the global economy. Together as a species we are grappling with how to collectively manage issues as gigantic as climate change, human migration, global security, productive economies, and healthy societies.
No, this isn’t the first great transformation the world has seen, but there are reasons why it is different. Experts say that this wave of technological innovation is happening faster than any other, at broader scale and with inequitable distribution of benefits. According to a new report, by Oxford Martin School and Citi, “real median wages have fallen behind growth in productivity and inequality has increased”. Given the negative economic and labor conditions that exist, now may not be the best time for robots to steal our jobs. But those machines are hard to fight, especially when they will work for less. Spectators say humans will take a significant hit — projecting that the US will lose 47% of jobs to digital technology and UK 37%. If job loss from automation is alarming for advanced economies it is shocking for the developing and emerging economies that would rely on rapid growth to improve economic standing. India is predicted to lose 69% of jobs to automation, Thailand 72% and Ethiopia 85%.
Unemployment is a serious barrier to alleviating poverty, ensuring security, and strengthening economies. Youth unemployment is particularly problematic. Fastco reported on the World Bank research that estimates 600 million young people (ages 15–24) are not working or training for work, mostly concentrated in Southern Europe, Northern Africa, and the Middle-East. Normally countries with large youth populations benefit from greater tax revenue. However, without jobs (no tax income) economic conditions worsen and stability is threatened. The World Bank attributes recent instability in the Middle East in part to a lack of economic opportunities. This could get even worse over the next decade when an estimated 1 billion more young people enter the labor market and cannot obtain work.
Sure, labor markets are thwarted by technology, but a lack of skills and a mismatch of education and skills has emerged as another chief concern. According to a baseline report by Solutions for Youth Employment (S4YE), “across 27 low- and middle-income countries worldwide, less than half of employees were considered,” to have the skills necessary to fill available jobs.
The world is changing and is likely to become even more uncertain. It’s important that we ensure people are able to find work or make their own job using skills that are uniquely human. We still have the competitive advantage (over robots) on all activities that require things like creativity, innovation, collaboration, and critical thinking. Unfortunately education systems often overlook these most valuable pieces.
We are so glad that Skills for a Changing World is taking initial steps to change this reality. And we are excited to be part of this revolutionary project!
