… 65% of children entering primary school today will ultimately end up working in completely new job types that don’t yet exist.”  World Economic Forum report The Future of Jobs [1]
“Tomorrow’s Schools” was implemented a quarter of a century ago in a world which no longer exists. In a digitised and globalised  new world the nature of work is changing rapidly with huge implications for education and training.

Over the last 25 years New Zealand has seen a rise in the ratio of skilled professionals, an increase in physical and virtual talent mobility, a big jump in the number of women in tertiary education and the workforce and a trend of unskilled men exiting the workplace.  The economy has lost clerical workers, tradesmen, labourers and machinery operators and gained professionals in fields like law and IT.

By one estimate 40% of all jobs are threatened by automation in the next 15 years. Many jobs are less secure because they are part-time, temporary or rise out of self-employment initiatives. At the same time there are many new opportunities for those with the required talents, attitudes and skills.

“There’s no longer such thing as a job for life. Individuals need to be ready to drop in and out of jobs with up-to-date skills and knowledge, as required.  Jane Hart  The Future of Work and Learning
How Shift is Happening
The world of work is changing irrevocably in terms of what is done, where and by whom. Drones, electric cars, 3d printing, hover boards and virtual reality will all be our collective reality in short order.  More

The Fragmented Future of Work
The 2015 WEF Future of Jobs report points out that in such a rapidly evolving employment landscape, the ability to anticipate and prepare for future skills requirements is increasingly critical for businesses, governments and individuals.   More

“Consider whether the education system is equipping both children and adults with the skills needed to meet technological changes and enter a rapidly changing environment where the ability to quickly adapt and continuously upskill will be lifetime assets.“ Recommendation 4 http://nzier.org.nz/publication/robot-nation-the-impact-of-disruptive-technologies-on-kiwis
Learning to Adapt
It is impossible to say what challenges will confront today’s students, or what automated or virtual workplaces of the future will look like. How can education best prepare young people now to navigate their way through an increasingly complex world by becoming effective, lifelong learners capable of responding to relentless change?   More

Hard Facts and Soft Skills
A 2015 Economist Intelligence Unit report  Driving the skills agenda: Preparing students for the future shows how evolving business needs, technological advances and new work structures are redefining what are considered to be valuable skills for the future.   More 
[1] http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_FOJ_Executive_Summary_Jobs.pdf