11/10/2024
Top skills students need to thrive in the future
Applied Futurist, Tom Cheesewright, confirmed that creativity, communication and the ability to curate reliable and useful information will be the three most useful skills that students will need to succeed in the future at ACS International Schools’ Future Ready Forum, which took place on 10 October at ACS Cobham.
With over 110 students, families and educators in attendance, the Future-Ready Forum explored answers to the question: What skills to our students need to succeed in tomorrow’s world?, and provided a platform for key discussions on the role of education, artificial intelligence (AI), employment, and the most in-demand skills students will need for the future.
In his keynote presentation, Tom outlined the likely challenges students will face in the future such as increased global competition for jobs, AI replacing human interaction, and the acceleration of misinformation.
Speaking at the event, Tom Cheesewright, said: “The most common question I am asked as a futurist is ‘what should I teach my kids to prepare them for tomorrow’s world?’. Parents understand that the world has changed since their time at school, and they are looking for educators who also understand that. So, it was great to really engage with this question in such a vibrant forum.”
Tom’s talk was also followed by an audience Q&A panel with experts, including: Victoria Humphries, Cultural Change and Resilience Consultant, Dr. Robert Harrison, ACS International Schools’ Director of Education and Integrated Technology and Bhekinkosi Sibanda, ACS Cobham’s University Counsellor. Questions were centred around preparing for the future and the role that AI will play in tomorrow’s world.
The outcomes of the Future-Ready Forum complement the findings of research that was commissioned by ACS International Schools, Education for a World of Opportunity. The report reveals that 68% of UK small and medium enterprises (SME) decision makers believe that the purpose of education is to develop students into decent human beings who can communicate, have an inquiring mind and think critically.
ACS International Schools’ Director of Education and Integrated Technology, Dr. Robert Harrison, said: “We know from our research with Small and Medium Enterprises (which drive most of the global economy), that employers value graduates with strong skills in problem-solving, self-management, working with people, and technology use and development. The Future-Ready Forum confirmed this once again, and it was inspiring to see so many people come together for an excellent event. It is clear that the future belongs to people who know how to learn key skills effectively and apply them with confidence.”