If your children are 8-10 years old now or even younger, by the time they will graduate it will be after year 2030. With all the technology at our disposal, we have absolutely no idea how the world will look like even in 5 years time. Despite being in the huge uncertainty, we need to educate our children.

30% of today’s jobs will be extinct in next 25 years and 30-40% of new types of jobs will emerge in the market. Have you ever wondered what kind of skills will be required to get those future jobs? Are you preparing your children to be skilled enough to get those jobs?

Here is a list of 5 most important skills that today’s children will require to cope with the changing job sector globally:

1. Creativity: Well, since most of the jobs will be taken away by AI, robot, machines (don’t laugh; that’s going to be the reality), your children need to be highly creative to be relevant in the job market in future. Our schools don’t do that currently, do they?

2. Complex Problem Solving: Huge systems, connected global web, software-hardware integration, big data, human behavior mapping are some current or future trends in technology and also in the job market. The more integrated the system is, skills required to solve complex problems are going to be more ‘hot cake’. Train your children from an early age to become a problem solver. Use puzzle, LEGO, imagination game, DIY games to improve both creativity and problem solving skills in your children.

3. Love and Skill of Learning: Anyone can learn anything from anywhere now a days. What’s needed is the love of learning and the skill of learning things faster and in more effective ways. With advancement in technology, your knowledge on certain things are getting obsolete day by day – simply because they are just a ‘click away’ from you. Make sure that your children become ‘life long learners’ and love the learning process. Only through ‘love of learning’ children can be multidisciplinary in future. The doctors may need to learn some engineering, the engineers may need to learn designing.

4. Emotional Intelligence: Here is the meaning of ’emotional intelligence’ for those who are thinking of googling it. It’s the capacity to be aware of, control, and express one’s emotions, and to handle interpersonal relationships judiciously and empathetically. In short, children need to be highly intelligent in terms of communication, interpersonal relationship, empathy in a future connected world. It will be no surprise that people are working for big companies from a remote location in Africa or Asia. But they need to be aware of the culture, religion and other social contexts to develop any solution for people living in other countries.

5. Collaborative Learning: Work environment is going to be highly collaborative where a group of people will solve various problems through collective learning. It’s a skill that children need to learn at an early age at schools or home with siblings. Project-based problem solving at schools should be a key feature to develop this skill among children. Solo geniuses will be no more valuable in future work force.

So, that’s it. If you are a parent or teacher who wants to give the best future to your children or students, you should make sure that you are working on developing these 5 skill-sets among them. You can also check Kids Time here for knowing about the opportunities we offer for the children.

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