According to a World Economic Forum report, 65 per cent of children entering primary school today will ultimately end up working in jobs that don’t yet exist.
The rise of robots, increasing automation and the disruptive technologies underpinning the “gig” economy will present many risks to the existing job market, but they will also throw up plenty of new opportunities for school-leavers.
Helping students pave the right pathways to this digitised future is critical, along with developing the right skills and subject choices to maximise their opportunities in a shifting job market.
Your Life’s new careers website, Future Finder, includes 40 “jobs of the future” pulled together by management consultancy AT Kearney, and is based on research by the Canadian Scholarship Foundation with their Careers 2030 work, the UK Comission for Education and Skills (UKCES) and The Economist. These are jobs that don’t yet exist or are in their infancy but could help shape the world of work in the next century.
This topic could provoke an interesting conversation in class and teachers can help advise on the best A-levels of today to help students prepare for these new careers. Here are five of the most interesting:
1. Professional microbiome steward
Professional microbiome stewards will assist us in becoming conscientious “shepherds” of our own microbiota, through feeding, culling and rebalancing. What scientists have learned so far suggests that our bodies’ micro-organismal communities play a role in everything from body weight and energy levels to mental health.
Skills required
Organisation
Communication
Interpersonal skills
Suggested A-levels
Biology
Chemistry
Food technology
Maths
Salary expectation:
£41,000
2. Nostalgist
Using virtual reality to take people back in time is likely to be a growing job sector in the future. Nostalgists will help recreate the setting of a preferred time and place for older people wishing to relive their past, from a small-town 1970s living room to 1980s university digs.
Skills required
Technical ability
Creativity
Attention to detail
Suggested A-levels
Design technology
Drama, music and performing arts
Salary expectation
£52,000
3. Robot counsellor
Because in the future robots will be like servants or caregivers, new owners can expect many changes when they bring one into the home. A robot counsellor will be an excellent resource for families wanting to pick the right model, especially when it is being purchased to assist elderly family members with daily life.
The counsellor will observe how the family interacts and identify their needs so they can make a wise decision about the type of robot they need. If a robot isn’t fitting in, or if family conflicts arise because of it, the robot counsellor is on hand to provide better options and ongoing customer service.
Skills required
Numeracy
Communication
Analytics
IT
Ability to understand technical plans
Suggested A-Levels
Computer science
Design technology
Drama, music and performing arts
Maths
Salary expectation
£45,000
4. Rewilding strategist
Rewilding strategists will stitch together viable ecosystems in stressed landscapes, using patchworks of flora and fauna from all over the world, and reintroducing plants and animals that have been extinct in a region for centuries, to create resilient and vibrant landscapes.
Skills required
People management
Organisation
Communication
Analytics
Suggested A-levels
Biology
Chemistry
Geography
Physics
Salary expectation
£45,000
5. Gamification designer
Gamification designers will work with technologists, designers and business people to make the world a more playfully challenging place. They may also design games with doctors, therapists or psychologists that help people bounce back from serious life challenges like injury, illness or depression.
By making otherwise boring or difficult activities into ones that are fun and (literally) games, the gamification designer can motivate people, help them heal, inspire better customer experiences and make better habits.
Skills required
Problem-solving
Patience
Creativity
Attention to detail
IT
Suggested A-levels
Computer science
Drama, music and performing arts
Maths
Media studies
Physics
Salary expectation:
£70,000
Your Life’s new careers website Future Finder connects today’s A-Level subjects with tomorrow’s jobs. Visit: futurefinder.yourlife.org.uk to begin your journey.
