Preparing for an Automated Future: A Comprehensive Guide

Preparing for an Automated Future

The Inevitable Shift

• Automation is impacting various sectors, from manufacturing to finance and healthcare.
• The central question is whether education and training can keep pace with this rapid automation.
• A survey by Pew Research Center and Elon University revealed that two-thirds of technology and education experts believe that new schooling methods will emerge within the next decade to train workers effectively.

Educating for an Automated World

• Continuous learning throughout careers is essential.
• The ability to learn how to learn is paramount.
• Uta Russmann emphasizes the importance of approaching new challenges, asking questions, finding answers, and adapting to new situations which she see as crucial for adjusting to changes in the workplace.
• Universities should focus on fostering adaptability and problem-solving skills.
• Specialized job skills will be acquired on the job.
• Traits that are hard for machines to replicate such as: creativity, critical thinking, emotional intelligence, adaptability, and collaboration should be taught.
• Stowe Boyd notes that many essential skills are more akin to personality traits, like curiosity and social skills, which require enculturation.

The Race Against the Machines

• About two-thirds believe education can adapt quickly enough.
• The rest are concerned about the time, resources, and political will required for education reform, fearing automation is moving too fast.
• Danah Boyd expresses confidence in identifying job gaps and developing educational tools but is skeptical about the political will to address socioeconomic factors.
• Andrew Walls suggests that only a major neuroscience breakthrough could significantly accelerate up-skilling efforts.

The Value of College Degrees

• Higher education is increasingly valuable because jobs that are relatively safe from automation require it.
• Interpersonal skills developed through on-campus living are crucial.
• Frank Elavsky emphasizes the importance of human interaction for fostering compassion, empathy, vulnerability, and social-emotional intelligence.
• Many believe degrees are not always sufficient or the best choice given the cost.
• Emphasis shifting towards certificates and badges from online courses and workshops.
• David Karger envisions top university faculty teaching online, with mid-tier universities providing support through teaching assistants.
• On-the-job learning, apprenticeships, and on-demand training are gaining importance.
• Portfolios are becoming more critical than résumés.
• Meryl Krieger suggests that three-dimensional materials demonstrating expertise such as job reels, will be the most effective way to showcase a worker's skills.

Preparing Workers Now

• Continuous learning should be part of one's job description.
• Focus on skills that require human interaction, such as: teaching, caregiving, building, repairing, researching, and evaluating.
• Independent learning requires drive and discipline.
• Beth Corzo-Duchardt says that self-direction being a requirement in the new work force will replicate existing inequalities.

Job Availability in the Future

• Jonathan Grudin is optimistic, believing people will create future jobs through technology.
• Pessimists, however, worry about the lack of jobs, regardless of training.
• Nathaniel Borenstein suggests the focus should be on wealth distribution in a world where most people may not need to work.