Top 3 Skills to Best Prepare Your Child for Their Future in 2020
Tech innovations are developing on a daily basis, forcing the workforce to shift rapidly. Not only has the evolution of technology caused some industries to be swept out and transformed into computer driven jobs, but on the flip side, it has also created completely new career opportunities.
If we look back at 2005 when YouTube launched, with the following year of Facebook and Twitter released, our society and daily functions have developed around these mediums, changing the way we associate with technology in our personal and professional lives. These social media platforms are simply created through programming. Not only do the platforms exist as popular communication channels, they’re also multi-billion dollar companies employing millions of workers.
Two decades ago, this industry and job force was essentially non-existent. Without knowing where technology will take the workforce, we still need to best prepare for tomorrow by providing the necessary tools and skills today. Let’s look at the 3 top essential skills needed to best prepare for your child’s future.
Leadership
A broad - yet important soft skill - leadership encompasses many of the required skills to be successful in any job position. Developing skills such as communication, decision making and the ability to negotiate will increase the likelihood of their success. Becoming autonomous leaders allows kids to gain control of their lives, thus providing great opportunities to develop a sense of responsibility. By teaching our younger generations to look at a different perspective other than their own viewpoint, it will allow them to practise on how to better listen, react, and respond to others in a respectful manner. Teaching children negotiation skills is also useful to provide an example of how to work with others to find common ground, and to not give up until both parties are content on moving forward.
Coding
Technology is a part of nearly all professions, and learning how to code and write this language will immensely create opportunities for children’s future careers. Regardless of the profession, and if it actively uses the processes of writing code, understanding computational thinking will provide significant value and advantages to their role in any industry. Coding is going to become a basic literacy, similar to reading, writing, and math skills that will help lay a strong foundation for your childs’ development and skill set. As we grow more immersed in a digital era, learning how to code is just as important as learning the alphabet.
Creativity
While creativity can be a naturally inherited trait, research shows that it’s actually a learned behavior which children can be taught and strive to develop in and out of a classroom. A great place to start fostering creativity is by encouraging them to follow their passions, encourage curiosity, and find enjoyment in exploration. Much like coding, we must allow children to use their boundless imaginations to develop their creative thinking and express themselves. An important step in the creative process is to is identify an issue, probe through follow up questions then come up with a solution. This is especially important for youth as they try to grasp the daily functions and events of their lives.