Preparing young people for new challenges from the world of work

ESTIMATES vary on how often the average person will change occupations over the course of a typical working life of 40 years or more.

However, most observers agree that switching career twice or three times is now fairly commonplace.

Added to that, people can expect to change roles and responsibilities several times within each career, as markets and technologies change more rapidly than ever before.

For example, a marketing person brought up on brochures, mail shots and magazine advertising would feel more than a little vulnerable today without a good grasp of internet communications.

Not only has the evolution of the workplace quickened, but people's horizons have broadened.

They are now more likely than in the past to seek change proactively rather than have it happen to them by circumstances, such as redundancy.

These changes present huge challenges to those educators charged with preparing young people effectively for adult life and a role in the economy.

Teachers and careers advisers now need to help young people to pack a "kit bag" of essential personal attributes that will help them, not just as they enter the world of work, but as they adapt to constantly changing circumstances and re-invent themselves as necessary many years down the line.

Such flexibility is precisely what we are seeking to embed through the proposed new curriculum Framework for Careers and the World of Work for 11 to 19-year-olds.

Rather than helping young people find the "right" job, schools, colleges and trainers must now equip them with the skills to manage their working lives in a future that is likely to contain many changes.

We must now ensure that they acquire the skill to take control, to make decisions on how to develop their own lives and careers, and how to acquire the capability to achieve their objectives.

The proposed Framework, which is built upon good practice already evident in many parts of Wales' learning networks, is divided into three elements: developing attitudes and values, acquiring skills and putting those skills into action.

It aims to embed a whole range of attributes – including flexibility, teamwork and self-discipline – which are essential for meeting the demands of employers and customers in all aspects of the world of work.

Among other things the Framework acknowledges that young people won't just become employees but are increasingly likely to become self-employed or employers.

As a result, the entrepreneurial dimension now runs through all aspects of the proposed Framework – not just concentrated in specific modules.

The workforce of tomorrow needs to be very different to the workforce of today.

The winning workforces in a fiercely competitive international market will be those that can adapt, no matter how extreme the challenges.

This new Framework for Careers and the World of Work will give educators the tools to build a winning mindset that will fulfil individual's lives and put Wales among the world's more successful and prosperous nations.