Better prepared for the future of work
Paul Hodgson
Director, Centre for Hydrogen and Renewable Energy & Executive Director Regional Futures - Energy Transitions, CQUniversity | Vice Chair, Hydrogen Flight Alliance | Chair, Queensland Manufacturing Institute
I've recently had the pleasure of presenting on the future of work at both an Australian Business Deans' Council meeting and the National Economic Development Conference. This post is a summary of my key points.
In landmark studies such as CEDA’s recent “Australia’s Future Workforce?” report, we know that disruption is coming, and fast. We also know from FYA's report "The New Work Order" that 60% of students are being trained in jobs that will be radically changed by automation. Tasks that can be automated such as those with logical sequences and analysis are most at risk. What I call the creative and caring roles will be harder to replace.
Workers will likely jump frequently not just from job to job but from career to career. If I’m going to have multiple careers, is a 3 or 4 year full-time degree a wise investment of time and money? Does a bulk delivery model of education work if students are unique and their career trajectories will also be unique? If many of the future occupations haven’t yet been created, what are we to teach anyway?
Given that content knowledge will need to be updated constantly throughout a career, we need to increase the importance of attributes and mindset as well as content. I believe we can support young people with positive mindsets, resilience, agility, transferable skills, strong networks and opportunities for continuous experience, inspiration and skill acquisition. An ability to cope with mistakes, uncertainty, not knowing and ambiguity will be key success factors.
No longer will graduates fall into the arms of a benevolent employer to support them through their working life. Job security is dead. Individuals will manage their own careers, learning will be lifelong and roles will be replaced by projects. There will be fewer jobs waiting for school leavers and post-secondary graduates, so they will need to develop their own.
Employability will be about maintaining relevance or "match fitness" in networks, skills, knowledge and energy levels. Employers will increasingly want people to “hit the ground running” as work placements become shorter.
For organisations as well as individuals, finding your differentiation will be key. If you identify what makes you unique, understand and communicate it well, and match it with opportunities where you can add the most value, then you remove yourself from a competitive environment. We don’t need to do everything but .. we need to do what we do well.
In summary, future work will require:
- a positive attitude, self-reflection, agility and resilience;
- business, innovation, design, digital, questioning and relationship building skills;
- coaches, mentors and networks;
- a constantly updated personal brand and value proposition;
- a global orientation and awareness, with understanding of market/customer needs; and
- a passion for lifelong learning.
As Peter Drucker has said:
"The only thing we know about the future is that it will be different”
“The best way to predict the future is to create it”
Director, Centre for Hydrogen and Renewable Energy & Executive Director Regional Futures - Energy Transitions, CQUniversity | Vice Chair, Hydrogen Flight Alliance | Chair, Queensland Manufacturing Institute
9 年Thanks everyone. There are certainly some challenges to the way things are currently done but leadership, energy and innovation will help us grasp the significant opportunities ahead.
it will be interesting how universities will change course offerings to match student needs with the anticipated changing career paths.