Cultivating Vital Skills in Response to a Rapidly Changing Job Landscape
Written by Liz Nusken, Out-of-School Time Manager at Young Entrepreneur Institute
In light of the “Shifting Skills, Moving Targets, and Remaking the Workforce” report, it’s evident that the demands of contemporary jobs have undergone significant transformations in just half a decade. A striking statistic reveals that nearly three-quarters of jobs have evolved more between 2019 and 2021 than during the preceding three years. This fast-paced evolution is expected to persist, painting a dynamic landscape for students who will graduate into this ever-changing world.
The World Economic Forum has identified a set of indispensable human skills that remain irreplaceable by technology. These skills, projected to be in high demand by 2025, encompass:
- Critical thinking and analysis.
- Creativity, originality, and initiative.
- Resilience, stress tolerance, and flexibility.
- Reasoning, problem-solving, and ideation.
- Analytical thinking and innovation.
Enter entrepreneurship education, a strategic approach designed to provide students with opportunities for honing these essential skills. This doesn’t necessarily involve launching businesses; it revolves around students identifying problems, researching and crafting solutions, and presenting them effectively. This experiential learning process equips students with collaborative teamwork, effective communication, data utilization, and the ability to harness curiosity and creativity in innovative problem-solving.
In a collaborative effort, the Young Entrepreneur Institute (YEI) and the Ohio Afterschool Network (OAN), with support from EnvisionEdPlus, have devised a structured pathway for high school students to cultivate these future-ready skills while earning an OhioMeansJobs-Readiness Seal. This pathway comprises 12 one-hour sessions, meticulously outlined in the Entrepreneurship Pathway to Workforce Readiness Toolkit.
Throughout the program, students work on identifying real-world problems, developing viable solutions, and crafting persuasive pitches under the guidance of educators, youth development professionals, and mentors. They gain practical insights by shadowing their mentors in a workplace setting and culminate the experience by presenting their pitches at a dedicated event.
The Toolkit is available for free download on YEI’s resource page for those interested. Moreover, consultations and training opportunities are accessible through the YIPPEE platform, an entrepreneurship education marketplace. Points, which can be earned by registering for YIPPEE, attending training sessions, and referring others, can be used for these services.
For further inquiries and information, please contact Liz Nusken, Young Entrepreneur Institute Out-of-School Time Consultant, at yei-ost@us.edu.
