Demand driven education: Merging work and learning to develop the human skills that matter

The last five years have been marked by a flurry of research and reports trying to chart the contours of the changing world of work. ‘The Future of Skills: Employment in 2030’, added an unprecedented level of detail to the debate. The study challenged alarmism over projected widespread job automation. The authors analyzed not only the full spectrum of technological change, but also the potential effects of globalization, demographic shifts, environmental sustainability, urbanization, increasing inequality, and political uncertainty. This report argues that the convergence of these trends will likely result in a world of work requiring specific knowledge and skills, especially complex thinking and interpersonal capabilities. As the future of work unfolds, what makes us human is what will make us employable. But the pathway to sustained employment will not be linear. No single job will be a final destination. Maintaining a career will require a lifetime of learning. An education system fit for this evolving world – one which will value and strengthen essential human traits – will require significant reform.