EMPLOYABILITY
“We must ensure our cu
rricu
that our young people a lum is fit for the future and
re prepared for the wo
rld of work
through productive lin
ks with employers”
That, however, is just the start. There are
greater challenges on the horizon, and
a pace of change unprecedented in
human history. Ahead of us lies the age
of robotics, of artificial intelligence; an
age in which human beings will be
increasingly replaced by automation in
many fields of work. The nature of
employment will fundamentally change,
the likelihood being that young people
in our schools and colleges may have
several careers in their lives and in which
lifelong learning will be something that
everybody does and needs to do.
It could be tremendously exciting;
a society in which people feel liberated
and energised by changes of direction,
in which the dividends of greater
efficiency are shared. Or it could be
dystopian; a society sharply divided
between the wealthy and the left-
behind, where poverty and joblessness
are embedded, and people scrabble
for crumbs of work.
Working together
Which of these visions becomes reality
depends on what we do today; the
politicians, the businesses, the educators.
We must ensure our curriculum is fit for
the future, that it is broad and enriching,
and that our young people are prepared
for the world of work through
productive links with employers.
This is the great challenge of our
time. We have a responsibility to work
together to ensure our young people
have the skills, knowledge and aptitude
to thrive in this future – to be the
adaptable, resilient, optimistic,
confident individuals whose human
ingenuity and endeavour can never be
replaced by machines.
Future Talent LIVE gives us just such
an opportunity to think and discuss how
we achieve that objective and turn the
age of robotics into a time of opportunity.
Linking skills and curricula
In a report in 2016, The World Economic
Forum listed the top 10 skills that would
be needed for the fourth industrial
revolution (see box, left). The challenge
for educators is how we incorporate
these into curricula alongside the
learning of essential knowledge, such
as reading, writing, maths and science,
at a time of constrained funding.
It accentuates the need to ensure
that the knowledge curriculum
emphasised through recent reforms
does not become just a memory test,
and that learning enhances the ability
of young people to think critically, to
solve problems and to be creative.
It demonstrates too that we must
fight to retain curriculum breadth in the
face of accountability measures and
funding constraints which often pull in
the opposite direction. The creative
arts and design and technology –
subjects which are increasingly under
pressure – teach several of the skills
that feature in the list.
The same is true of sport, which
provides opportunities for young
people to develop their teamwork
and leadership skills, besides the
obvious benefits of fitness and
wellbeing (physical and mental). And
that extends also to enrichment
activities – drama, music, clubs, trips,
The age of robotics
QUICK
• The fourth industrial revolution
will change the nature
of employment.
• Educators, employers and
politicians will need to work
together to prepare young
people for work.
• Human skills must be embedded
into the school curricula alongside
academic learning.
volunteering, expeditions and so on
– all of which provide such valuable
learning experiences.
Challenge and opportunity
What is certain is that we cannot wait
for some far-off curriculum review
to take a more strategic approach to
understanding and delivering the skills
that will be needed in the future.
The time is now and we have to
work within the system as it currently
exists. Indeed, this is an opportunity for
us as school leaders to give real
meaning to the principle of a school-led
system. We need to lead the future.
ABOUT ASCL
The Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) is a leading professional body,
representing around 19,000 schools and college leaders across the UK. It speaks on behalf of
members and acts on behalf of children and young people. ascl.org.uk
FUTURE TALENT // 15