Preparing Students for the Future of Work
When I was in high school and asked what I wanted to do when I graduated, I usually responded with, “I don’t know, maybe be a marine biologist?” I now partly put this down to being a millennial and believing that only a handful of jobs were an option. My ideas for the future included and were mostly limited to marine biologist, doctor, lawyer, and, of course, my Year 10 favourite, dolphin trainer.
The other thing I put it down to was having little to no access to careers education or counselling, and I’d love to highlight the importance of this kind of education today.
We live in a rapidly changing world. According to the Foundation for Young Australians, 70% of young people are entering jobs that will be radically affected by automation, with many jobs not yet having titles that we’d even recognise. Wow, right? This wasn’t on the radar when I was leaving high school, deciding on a career path, and pursuing the world of work.
Academic success, while still far too prominent in discussions of high school success, in my humble opinion, isn’t going to be enough to prepare young people for the world we are living in. They will need skills such as critical thinking, creativity, emotional intelligence, collaboration, perseverance and digital know-how. This is a future where lifelong learning will be key, understanding that the days of a single career path are no longer the norm.
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When I completed my Careers Education and Development qualification several years ago, I remember being excited about the future of work and all the ways we can support our young people in the transition from their school experience to the ever-changing world of work.
I’m still excited, and careers education is continuing to become more of a priority around Australia. However, we still have a long way to go to ensure we are meeting students' needs and supporting them as best we can in such a critical part of their lives.
I think one of the biggest mistakes we make is continuing to spout the narrative of “Do what you love, and you’ll never work a day in your life!” I love what I do, but do some days feel like work? Absolutely, it does! We need to shift this narrative, as for those young people who haven’t yet discovered their passions, it can be overwhelming to think that doing what you love is the expectation for first steps into the world of work, whereas, in reality, we know that this process is a journey, takes time and requires purposeful reflection and commitment to learning about yourself.
Inspired by the Australian Blueprint for Career Development, here are some ideas to support the young people in your world. Whether you’re a School Careers Practitioner or Counsellor, a parent or guardian, a youth mentor or just someone who wants to support the next generation:
Help Grow Self-Awareness
We would love for every young person to know who they are, what they’re good at, and how they might turn this into a fulfilling career. So, how can we help support them with this?
Encourage them to reflect on the activities, subjects and hobbies they really enjoy.
Invite them to reflect on and acknowledge their strengths (role-modelling this yourself and applying labels to your strengths really helps; for example, I love how I used my creativity to solve that problem).
Engage in open-minded conversations about aspirations with no expectations.
2. Encourage Lifelong Learning
Let’s instil a love for learning that lasts a lifetime. The future demands adaptability, and that means being ready to learn new things constantly. When working with young people, encourage a growth mindset, where challenges are seen as opportunities to grow.
When fixed language arises, such as “I can’t do this,” support adapting to growth mindset language, for example. “This is challenging right now, but I am still learning.”
Prompt curiosity by asking questions that promote critical, reflective and creative thinking.
Draw attention to your own learning to model the concept of learning being for every age and stage of life.
3. Support Learning of 21st Century Skills and Interpersonal Skills
Despite all the tech advancements, interpersonal skills remain crucial. Teamwork, communication, and leadership are indispensable in any career.
Encourage collaboration and promote opportunities for things such as team sports, community service and group activities.
While it is important to acknowledge that we are living in the digital age, it is critical to find a balance between screens and face-to-face connection and communication.
Promote and model these skills wherever possible, point them out, highlight, and affirm when young people actively use and engage with 21st-Century Skills, remembering to focus on effort, not just outcome.
Let’s ensure that our young people are not only ready for the future but also excited about and empowered to shape it.
I know that while I’ve done my fair share of self-discovery to get to where I am now, it would have been a heck of a lot easier with some proper career guidance, exposure and opportunities earlier in life or even just someone pointing out that my ‘dolphin trainer’ aspirations seemed to coincide with H20 Just Add Water being incredibly popular at the time.
As adults who work with youth, we all have a responsibility to help contribute to the next generation of leaders who will continue to shape our world.
