What should young people be learning to set them up for future success in a world we can’t predict?
Fiona McKenzie, Head of Education, Carfax Education, shares her insights into setting young people up for success in an unpredictable world.
The Greek philosopher Heraclitus said ‘change is the only constant in life’. Throw in technology into the mix and change happens at lightning speed.
While the world of work is ever changing and future careers are impossible to predict, this isn’t always being reflected in education.
But this is being challenged.
A recent report from The Times Education Commission found that only half of employers think current curriculums provide young people with the skills they need.
So, what should young people be learning to set them up for future success in a world we can’t predict? What we need is a generation of curious, creative, effective problems solvers – skills at the heart of innovation.
Curiosity
Sometimes there isn’t one right answer. The most valuable learning comes from trying new things – and getting it wrong.
With less focus on the outcome and more focus on the process, pupils develop transferable skills that are invaluable in the workplace.
By encouraging pupils to be curious we help them develop effective questioning skills, which makes them excellent problem solvers.
Curiosity is the key to learning. From a young age children ask all sorts of questions, but without the right support this skill can be lost.
Pupils shouldn’t settle for the first answer they get and education needs to nurture and encourage this.
Creativity
Creativity can be incorporated not only in the subjects pupils study, but the way in which they are explored.
By teaching economics through crypto, maths through robotics and creative writing through video game development we feed passions and explore interests – and students will remember these lessons for life.
Interdisciplinary learning also helps to see the bigger picture and puts learning into a different perspective and encouraging extra-curricular activities is also key.
With a focus on creativity we begin to re-define success, encouraging young people to try new things and not sticking to what they are good at.
Problem solving
The world’s most successful entrepreneurs have one key thing in common – the ability to identify a problem none of us saw coming.
When Elon Musk first dreamt up the idea for PayPal, no-one could understand the need for online payments.
Steve Jobs popularised the computer mouse while most people were still happy typing commands from their keyboard.
Curious and creative students will be comfortable approaching problems differently, trying a new approach – and risking failure, which will lead them to innovative solutions.
The most important thing that all these skills do is build confidence in young people. Pushing themselves outside their comfort zone, asking questions when they don’t know the answer and seeing the benefit of learning from failure along the way.
While we can’t predict careers of the future, we know that all these skills are vital – and this is what employers will continue to look for in future talent.
Find out more about Carfax Education UAE by visiting carfax-education.ae
