Learn how you can prepare your child for the jobs of the future here.

In just three years’ time, some 5 million jobs will become obsolete according to the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) The Future of Jobs report. Even more startling, 65 per cent of primary school children will end up in jobs that don’t even exist today! From traditionally safe office jobs like bookkeeping, accounting, banking, auditing and administrative work, to even high-flying ones like pilots or lawyers ― these are set to become irrelevant in the not-too-distant future when new technology automates and simplifies such tasks.

Are you ready for the Fourth Industrial Revolution?
The first Industrial Revolution introduced steam. The next, electricity, while the third Industrial Revolution brought computing to the forefront. The Fourth Industrial Revolution, the Digital Revolution, is seen in the fusion of technologies that’s blurring the lines between the physical, digital, and biological spheres. It’s changing and will continue to change the way we live, work and relate to one another.

Junior will need to demonstrate key critical thinking and complex problem-solving skills, as well as show creativity and emotional intelligence to leading global employers.

This will disrupt almost every industry not just in Singapore, but throughout the world. Technology will be at the forefront, and jobs with a lot of routine qualities will disappear as these are easy to automate. For example, smart factories connected to a system to visualise an entire production chain and can make decisions on its own will become commonplace. Increased automation will eliminate the need for people to do accounting, administrative work, sort postal mail, maybe even cook! Even the work you are doing now may not require you in the distant future.

What is certain, is that the world needs a future workforce with new skillsets to keep up with the fast-paced changes. As parents, we need to prepare our children for a changing world that will be vastly different from what it is today.

Is junior ready for the Fourth Industrial Revolution?
Thankfully, this technology-driven future isn’t something we have no control over. We should grab this opportunity to mould our children and direct them towards a brighter future, ready and prepared for any new jobs may not even exist now.

To do this, your children will require skills that stand out from the rest of the pack. In a world where robots can automate most of the work, junior will need to demonstrate key critical thinking and complex problem-solving skills, as well as show creativity and emotional intelligence to leading global employers. New high-paying jobs will require technological, research, management and soft skills, while talent and creative thinking will be highly valued. Singaporean parents are also encouraging their kids to take up coding courses in the belief that this will open doors to new career opportunities.

Photos: iStock

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