Intersections of Work and Education in the Future

In their special report, Education Week discusses the skills students will need to succeed in the uncertain, intensely competitive workplace of the future. Some experts even predict that nearly half of today’s jobs could be done by machines within a couple of decades. This report suggest students will continue to need a solid grounding in core academics, especially math, science, and literacy. Given that no one really knows which skills will be in demand, the default for educators may be teaching students to "learn how to learn" so they can acquire skills throughout their lifetimes to stay marketable – such as empathy, creativity, and collaboration skills. Though the future of work is unclear, this report suggests that future generations may need to find purpose in unpaid work that machines will not be able to accomplish – such as taking care of others, creating art, or building knowledge.

Education Week (2017). Schools and the Future of Work. Bethesda, MD: Education Week. https://www.edweek.org/ew/collections/schools-and-future-of-work/index.html?cmp=eml-eb-sr-schooljobs-09272017&M=58208638&U=1673093