The future of work requires us to re-think our perspective

Jack Tasker & James Muscat-Sharp, Business Engagement Partners, University of Birmingham

Many of the jobs that our students will be employed in don’t yet exist. To properly provide for them, we need to re-think how we deliver relevant education and experiences.

It feels cliché to talk about how the pandemic has changed the ways we engage with our colleagues, clients and stakeholders, but we should take serious note of that change as there is so much more to come.

Digital technologies were a saving grace during the lockdowns. They enabled us to keep in contact, keep working and keep studying through two dramatic years. Sadly, access to these technologies is woefully inequitable, slowing our ability to achieve their full potential and threatening long-term socioeconomic growth. One-fifth of our population?is digitally disadvantaged and lacks the essential digital skills to navigate the modern world. This, combined with a growing skills gap at regional and national levels, has revealed a clear challenge for employers and educators.

Fit for purpose

At the University of Birmingham, we want our education to be fit for purpose, so understanding the challenges facing our external partners is vital. While there are fundamental problems being tackled by all industries, there are also sector-specific challenges that require a nuanced response.

The first step is to listen to our partners; what skills are they looking for in graduates? What are the most pressing challenges they face? What do they expect of a university in the 21st century? These questions aren’t always met with straightforward answers. We frequently talk about training for jobs that don’t yet exist, compounding challenges for organisations in setting recruitment strategies, and for universities in cultivating a compatible graduate talent pool.

We need to work with our partners to understand the right mix of soft and hard skills required for the workplace in the coming decades.

Birmingham Digital Futures

The?Birmingham Digital Futures ?initiative is one of our responses to tackling the skills gap and broadening regional access to digital skills. It is a collaboration between PwC Midlands, Tech She Can and the University of Birmingham with two distinctive strands of activity.

The first provides opportunities for industry practitioners to get in front of young people aged 5-15 and, using cutting-edge educational materials developed by Tech She Can, give real-world examples of the tech they use day-to-day. The focus isn’t on the?how, but the?why, and aims to inspire future generations to think differently about emerging technologies and their promise for novel and exciting career paths.

The University is leveraging its convening power to bring together multiple partners, as well as our links to local education providers and our vast body of staff and students who will also be volunteering their time to deliver the material. Crucially, this strand recognises the need for educational intervention to happen long before someone enters higher education to ensure the students and workers of the future are given the best foundations upon which to build.

The second, broader strand, aims to build on the first to generate a thriving skills-focused innovation ecosystem with educators, businesses and organisations all working together to tackle pressing challenges. Our vision is to establish a world-leading Digital Skills Innovation District centred around?The Exchange, our flagship space in the heart of Birmingham’s commercial district. By creating a focal point for lifelong learning near the Birmingham offices of numerous global companies, we will both listen to and lead the regional conversation around digital skills.

Striking the balance

Responding confidently to the changing world of work, growing skills gaps and needs of industry requires a balanced approach. We have to take immediate action to improve access to digital skills education to enhance and support our existing workforce. At the same time, we need long-term strategies that deliver for the workforce of the future. As a century-old civic institution with academics at the forefront of technological, medical and social policy development, we know we have the right understanding of shorter- and longer-term solutions.

If you’re interested in learning more about the Digital Futures initiative and becoming a collaborative partner, you can register for our Digital Skills Symposium at Birmingham Tech Week on Thursday 13th October.

This article was originally published on the CBI website .