Developing Skills for the Future of Work
What skills will we need at work in the future, how do we prepare graduates for the new world of work and why are many organisations around the world concerned about this topic?
In Episode 2 of Sage Invisible Admin, a podcast series that explores the future of work, my business partner at Inquisition, Vincent Hofmann explored the future of talent with Alison Jacobson (Group Principal Digital Strategist), Dimension Data) and Heidi Duvenage (Head of Talent Solutions, Sage).
They cover myriad aspects of this topic but due to my current preparations for a youth career day and determining what would be most valuable to relay to them, my focus in the conversation was the shifting expectations and changing world of work.
Will the skills that are currently being taught in our schools be relevant by the time they reach working age? With the world of work experiencing change exponentially, whole industries and jobs have been and continue to be disrupted. With elements of the South African schooling system being in a dire state that would struggle even in times of linear change, it makes it all the more challenging for these learners to escape a disadvantaged fate.
At university level, would they be in a better position to acquire 21st Century skills and will their potential employers be able to recognise their capabilities beyond certification? As also discussed in this podcast episode, universities will need to become more flexible to fulfill on changing needs. I attended a decent university and even there I was taught outdated laboratory methods and approaches that suited their curriculum but would have required my re-education had I decided to pursue that line of work.
Guests on the podcast see universities as having a role of a custodian or guide of the learning process of which student has agency and not necessarily source of all knowledge. In the work that we do, this would be the role of a team leader and coach.
Young people entering the workplace now also have different expectations of what work should be, many of which I feel should have been the standard in the post-industrial era. That said, it works both ways in that this younger workforce can learn from previous generations so organisations need to have a flexibility in balancing worker needs to achieve a respectable employee experience.
Left with what to say to my high school audience on career day, I believe the best message I can share is one I understand from personal experience — to take full charge of one’s career and learning. Having had at least three distinct career paths and across multiple industries, rapid learning has been instrumental in ensuring that I could provide value that someone would pay for. I have no idea where my career will lead me in 5 years but I know my best bets in preparation for a job that may not exist right now.
Subscribe to the Sage Invisible Admin podcast on Soundcloud and iTunes.
