Sigrid Kenmuir
April 14, 2023
Each year, the job market evolves but never more rapidly than it is right now. As high school students start applying for college and thinking about their futures, they need to understand the emerging professions and the skills required to succeed. According to the Jobs of Tomorrow report published by the World Economic Forum, the top five emerging professions in 2022 will be:
These professions are in high demand because of the growing importance of technology and renewable energy, which will transform many industries in the coming years. We recommend that students pursue careers in these fields to ensure they have a bright future ahead. But it's not just about choosing the right profession; it's also about acquiring the necessary skills to succeed in these fields.
The report emphasises the need for both technical and human skills, including critical thinking, creativity, communication, and adaptability. These skills are important because they enable workers to think creatively, communicate effectively, and adapt to new challenges as they arise. In other words, these skills are essential to succeed in any profession, not just the emerging ones.
These human, or soft skills as they are sometimes called, are built into each one of our programmes. We refer to them as 21st-century skills, and they are taught alongside the core content. Skills like teamwork, remote collaboration, and effective communication are part and parcel of learning online, while professional skills like presenting with impact or media and information literacy are more emphasised in some courses than others.
The COVID-19 pandemic has also accelerated the adoption of new technologies, which will have a profound impact on the job market and the skills required for different professions. As such, students need to stay updated with the latest technological advancements and learn the necessary skills to succeed in the job market of the future.
In recent months, there has been a lot of noise about the strides made in AI, and many teachers are concerned about the impact this may have on students. We believe that it’s crucial for students to learn to work with the technological tools available to them, using their critical thinking and literacy skills to evaluate the truth and relevance of information or content online, whether human or AI-generated.
As the use of artificial intelligence (AI) becomes more widespread, it's becoming increasingly clear that it will have a significant impact on the job market, both now and in the future. Some jobs will become obsolete, while others will be transformed, requiring workers to learn new skills and adapt to new ways of working.
This has important implications for high school students who are thinking about their future careers. It's essential that they understand the impact of AI on the job market and the skills they will need to have to succeed in their careers.
AI is already affecting many industries, from manufacturing and logistics to healthcare and finance. For example, in the healthcare sector, AI is being used to analyse medical images, identify diseases, and predict patient outcomes. In the finance sector, AI is being used to detect fraud, automate routine tasks, and make more accurate predictions about market trends.
While AI has the potential to increase productivity and efficiency, it's also important to acknowledge the potential risks and challenges. For example, there are concerns about the impact of AI on employment, with some experts predicting that it could lead to significant job losses in certain industries.
As high school students think about their future careers, they need to be aware of these trends and developments. It's important to choose a career that is likely to be in high demand in the future and to develop the skills that will be required to succeed in that career.
Moreover, the report highlights the need for lifelong learning, as workers will need to continuously update their skills to keep up with the changing demands of the job market. This means that students should approach their education as a continuous process that never ends, even after they enter the workforce. They should be open to learning new skills, taking courses, attending workshops, and pursuing additional certifications to stay relevant in their field.
Part of our mission as a company is to encourage and make available educational opportunities to enable lifelong learning for all our students, from high school level to college and eventually beyond.
Finally, the report suggests that policymakers and education providers should work together to ensure that students and workers have access to quality education and training opportunities that equip them with the skills they need to succeed in the job market of the future. This is an important call to action to create policies and curricula that promote the development of the skills required for the jobs of tomorrow.
We applaud our partners in school groups such as GEMS Education and Pearson Global Academy as they have partnered with us to give their students access to the skills and training opportunities outlined in the Jobs of Tomorrow report. We aim to provide educators and school and college policymakers with the capacity to build out their modern training programmes, filling the widening gap between traditional schooling and the employment skills needed to succeed in the job market.
While it might feel overwhelming to try to outguess the future, there are some steps students of today can take to secure their success tomorrow.
In the rapidly changing job market, the ability to learn quickly and adapt is becoming increasingly important. Learning how to learn involves developing the skills to seek out and consume information efficiently, understand complex concepts, and apply them in practical situations. Cultivating a love of learning can also help students stay motivated and engaged throughout their academic and professional careers.
The more skills a student has, the more valuable they become in the job market. To succeed in emerging professions, students should acquire technical skills, such as coding or data analysis, as well as soft skills like communication and problem-solving. It's not enough to just gain these skills; students should also practice them regularly to ensure they can apply them in real-world situations.
Professional skills, such as networking, presentation, and leadership, are essential for success in any job. Students should seek out opportunities to develop these skills, such as internships, extracurricular activities, and leadership positions. It's important to start building these skills early, as they take time and practice to master, and can make all the difference in landing a job or advancing in a career.
No matter what you study, if you do these three things, you should set yourself up for a successful future. And if you want to do a few of these things, we recommend our iX LaunchPad programme. Whether you sign up for an after-school extracurricular activity, a holiday bootcamp, or travel to the USA to take our programme from a college campus, we know you’ll gain valuable skills you can practice forever, hone your 21st-century skills, and learn how to love lifelong learning. There’s really nothing to lose.
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