I grew up with a father who was an early adopter of technology, so we had some of the earliest personal computers at home. However, they held little interest for me. It was only after completing school, then following my passion for social justice, that I was drawn to the technology industry.
But the world is different now.
I spent much of my early professional life working for non-profit and humanitarian organisations in developing countries and here in New Zealand, and it was these experiences that demonstrated to me the enormous potential digital technology has to help solve the world’s most pressing problems. Now, as a relatively new parent, I often catch myself contemplating the career path my two-year-old son might take after high school.
There’s a popular estimate that suggests 60 per cent of primary school children will grow up to work in jobs that don’t exist today. The rate of change occurring in many aspects of our lives, including work, is being driven by technology.
This digital disruption offers enormous possibilities for young people, parents and the economy, but we have to prepare our kids by helping them to develop modern workforce skills. As parents, we need to better understand the impact of technology on the work-place, the opportunities it offers and the risks of failing to respond.
It’s widely recognised that children need to develop communication, critical thinking, creativity and collaboration skills. However, with the growth of technology in our lives, there is also a need for a fifth core skill: computational thinking.
Computational thinking is about looking at a problem and knowing how to use a computer to help solve it. It’s a two-step process: first we think about the steps needed to solve a problem, then we use technical skills to get the computer working on it.
Computational thinking is common for those in jobs that have been created in the past 20 years, including web developers and designers, computer network specialists, computer architects, cyber security analysts and the many creatives who are producing dynamic web content and creative media such as music, film and animation.
But what does the future hold for young people who don’t envisage themselves in technology-focused roles like these?
Just as those who deliver critical health and social services will increasingly use digital technology to deliver better, more timely care, technology will be an intrinsic part of work for everyone – be it in the office, on the construction site or in the milking shed. Digital disruption offers huge opportunities, but we must ensure the benefits are broadly shared and no one is left behind.
Many of the jobs at risk of technological automation in New Zealand are those that currently employ young people, in particular Maori and Pacific youth. We have pockets of excellence where young people are given the chance to learn skills for the modern workforce, however, under-served communities have fewer opportunities to learn.
For Maori boys, who have the highest secondary school drop-out rate, chances to learn computational thinking can be greatly reduced if they leave school. Meanwhile, girls tend to choose to avoid all things tech because they’ve picked up on the narrow and stereotypical views of technology and the sector. They’ve not been told about, or haven’t understood, its reach and applications.
There are a number of non-profit organisations, including the High Tech Youth Network, OMGTech! and the Ministry of Inspiration, that have stepped up to provide these opportunities in under-served communities. Both the tech industry and government support these efforts, but the need to expand them is urgent.
I want my son to pursue a fulfilling work life, just as I’ve been able to. I believe we need to ensure all Kiwi kids develop the skills they need to thrive in an increasingly digital world.
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