Due to disruptive changes to global industries, most children will grow up to hold jobs that don’t exist yet. This offers an exciting opportunity to prepare children for their future careers and address the challenges of thriving in a dramatically changing job market.
To best help children, parents and educators can prioritize problem-solving based learning and encouraging creativity, both of which help children develop resiliency to new challenges. Education should adapt to accommodate them by including projects and group work in the curriculum to help them develop creativity and collaboration skills and provide the space to find and pursue their interests. Cultivating “soft skills” such as curiosity, communication, and empathy will also be in demand in the future. These skills will help people envision big picture ideas and become visionary thinkers.
It’s also important for students to be flexible to change. For instance, about 1 in 10 college students changed majors more than once; meanwhile, the average person changed careers 5-7 times in their lifetime. This suggests that having a broad base of knowledge can also be beneficial to handle both changes in the job market and changes in individual interest.
For parents who are worried about their children’s future, it is important to remember that jobs are constantly made obsolete to reflect the changes that are happening in the economy and society. By giving them the tools that can prepare them for the changing economy, children can enjoy a much greater chance of success in the future.
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