How to Build the Workforce of Tomorrow: Step by Step
Ever since the recession that struck in 2008, the business world has been trying to recover. And for the first time from that crisis, there is hope. Employment opportunities for skilled workers are slowly opening up and because of that, more people might be needed to fill those vacancies.
However, things have changed dramatically over the years because employment is not only limited by geographical locations. Rather than those limitations being applicable, the world economy has been unlocked globally.
The leaders of tomorrow need to be exposed to careers that aren’t in close proximity to them. They must also be taught how they are connected to the global employment world and perform optimally in the dynamic business environment. How can this be successfully accomplished?
Introducing career exploration
Career exploration involves activities such as introducing the many different careers to students by arranging career days and helping students determine which line of work they can opt for. During career exploration, students are exposed to some careers that they never thought that they exist.
Usually, this is done sometime during middle school and high school, which can be too late at times. The perfect time to introduce career options to students is during kindergarten because, at that age, those students have an open mind towards all careers. They don’t have stereotypes against some types of work and they are eager to learn about all the different careers.
By the time those students have grown, they will already have some career interests and wouldn’t shy away from any type of work. When they grow older, the approach of career exploration can be changed a little and focus more on what the student is interested in and what they can do.
If the hype about determining their careers is started at a young age, they will have a sense of direction with regards to what studies they choose. The more they excel at those studies, the global workforce can expect highly skilled and motivated workers.
Expose students to the workplace model at the elementary level
Producing top-quality employees can be started at the elementary level and there are various ways on how to do this. For example, Cajon Valley School District has a highly effective approach of teaching students about careers in a fun and engaging way but yet insightful.
They have an exciting program that engages students as young as kindergarten students called World of Work. In this program, Cajon Valley allows students to discover various careers and get inside information about that career.
World of Work has four steps of engaging students in different career fields, and those steps being exploration, simulation, meet a pro and practice. Technological advancements have even made it possible to meet a pro without leaving the classroom through methods of video chat or video production.
Other methods teachers can use is the terms that can help students recognize that the values of a good student translate to those of a valuable employee. After all, the base concept of school is training students to adopt workplace values. Those values include punctuality, attendance, teamwork, responsibility, and pride in performance.
Teachers can help students see how all of this connects and how it applies in the real world when they get employed. For example, every class has a set of rules and procedures applicable to students, that list can be used to help students gain workplace values.
By using another term for that list of rules and maybe calling it a contract, the teacher can then teach students about workplace expectations and outcomes. That can be done by outlining that to get good grades, they need to follow the set rules just like workers get their salary when they follow company protocol.
Connecting careers while following the curriculum
When teaching a class, there is always the opportunity to reference how the study being taught can be applied in the workplace. The beauty of this is that it can be done along the way of teaching the curriculum instead of setting some time aside to explain how their curriculum related to different careers.
Students nowadays want to know the reason for everything, which includes knowing why they are learning what teachers are teaching them. For example, when teaching geometry, teachers can explain how video game designers use this mathematical study to create visuals.
Explaining that will result in higher performance in school and more fully engaged students because of knowing how it relates to their potential future careers.
Teachers should make the subject they are teaching relate to the skills those students need for their future careers. When preparing lesson plans, they can think of examples they can bring in or real-life scenarios they can use.
Introducing the concept of flexible work
The global world of work also entails forms of flexible work like freelancing, outsourcing, and remote working. Explaining the concepts of these forms of employment might benefit some students because their circumstances might only permit them to work in this way.
However, they need to know the pros and cons of working this type of flexible work. They also need to put in the same amount of effort as normal employees or even more in certain cases. It is not only the traditional staff that makes up the global workforce but also freelancers and remote workers.
Availability and recognition of online courses
Online courses give a quality education curriculum that is specifically focused on the skill advertised. Unfortunately, some employers don’t recognize online courses as valuable qualifications and oftentimes, the workforce misses out on great talent and skill.
To build a strong and formidable workforce, online courses need to be internationally recognized and accepted as a form of education. While on the other hand, the availability of different online courses should also improve.
Other courses of study that teach people valuable skills are vocational schools and short courses. Instead of the majority of students gunning for doctorates, they can also focus on this type of education. Students who do this often are more skillful than university graduates and they are the ones that are usually ready to put in the work.
The focus on training in technical skills
There is no doubt that technical skills are important in this modern world because of the technological advancements taking place. The workforce needs more technically inclined employees like computer programmers, digital hardware repairers, graphic designers, etc.
These skills have sustainable employment opportunities that will still be applicable in the following decades. Some other employment opportunities might run their course and their efficacy will be made null and void by robots. Hinting millennials, the generation Zs and to pursue technical education is very important to have a sustainable workforce.
Final thoughts
The workforce is finally slowly regaining its strength after being hit by the recession a decade ago. Because of this rise, skillful workers are needed and should be trained to meet the requirements of the upcoming labor market.
To do that, students need to choose at a young age which career they will pursue and by all means possible should be encouraged to choose technical careers. Attaining technical skills should be highly encouraged because that is one of the most uprising industries right now.
