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The 21st Century workplace: What
teens and their families need to know
| In many of
today's jobs and emerging occupations, from
financial services and sales to teaching, there
is a growing need for bilingual-able to speak
fluently and read and write in two or more
languages-even multi_lingual workers.
Increasingly,
companies that have offices and clients
throughout the world seek employees who can
speak a variety of languages from Spanish to
Russian and Mandarin.
Many high
school and college graduates who are fluent in a
second language are finding that they have an
extra edge during job interviews. While
bilingual skills aren't always required to land
good jobs, many companies prefer to hire
candidates with this added dimension.
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Time was, a basic high
school education could land a teen with even the most
modest goals a respectable and relatively good paying
job post-graduation. Yet over the past two decades,
technology has changed workplaces so much that workers
can no longer rely on their skills of the past to ensure
a decent job.
From nursing to multi-media animation, all of today's
fastest growing professions require technical skills, if
not a two- or four-year college education, according to
U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor statistics.
(Log on to
http://stats.bls.gov/oco for details on today's jobs
and careers.) A rapidly changing economy also requires
that all workers be able to apply what they know in new
and creative ways, to work well with others, and to use
resources and tools to learn more and remain
professionally current.
21st century skills-key to future job success
"Today's graduates need to be critical thinkers, problem
solvers and effective communicators who are proficient
in both core subjects and new, 21st century content and
skills... Twenty-first century skills are in demand for
all students, no matter what their future plans-and they
will have an enormous impact on students' prospects."
From Results that Matter: 21st Century Skills and High
School Reform, a report by the Partnership for 21st
Century Learning.
The effort teens put into mastering their lessons and
building skills during the high school years will give
them a competitive edge down the road. With more and
more young adults from around the world competing for
college acceptance and plum jobs (vocational as well as
professional), those who demonstrate a wide-range of
marketable skills are likely to experience the most
post-graduation career success.
Despite our changing world, educators and today's
employers all say that teens still need a solid
foundation in the "basics" such as English language arts
(reading, writing, editing, listening and speaking),
mathematics, science, foreign languages, social studies
(history, civics, government, geography), physical
education and the arts (visual, performing and musical.)
To this end, all New York State high schoolers (with
some exceptions for special-needs students) are required
to take and pass core courses in these subject areas in
order to graduate.
Students who tackle more rigorous coursework, especially
advanced courses in English, mathematics and science,
are likely to be even better prepared for postsecondary
education and future careers.
However, academics are just one aspect of 21st century
learning. Here is a look at the other elements that
today's high school student will need in order to
succeed: * 21st century content, such as global
awareness, economics and business education, civics, and
health and wellness awareness. High schoolers are
introduced to these topics both through dedicated
coursework in such classes as Business Law or Food and
Nutrition and through courses in core subject areas. For
example, an English language arts research project on
global warming can move students toward a 21st century
understanding of the issue (e.g., how international
business practices have influenced an environmental
issue, how industry and special interest groups are
working to help fix it, how it is affecting human
health, etc.)
"Soft" skills, such as
critical thinking and problem solving. Book smarts are
important. However, knowing how to make creative use of
this knowledge is what businesses want most from those
they hire. The "soft" skills that matter most, in life
and in today's economy, include: critical thinking and
problem solving, communication skills, creativity and
innovation skills, collaboration, contextual learning,
information and media literacy skills. The hands-on,
project-based learning that is becoming more the way
teens learn in today's high schools allows them to
practice the "soft" skills of collaboration (working
well with others), problem solving, thinking creatively,
managing time and organization.
Information and
communications technology (ICT) literacy. Students need
to be able to use technology to learn content, research
issues, solve problems, present solutions, communicate,
innovate, and collaborate. Increasingly, high schoolers
are being asked to use technology throughout their
school days and in most subject areas-from computers for
word processing and the Internet for research to Wikis
that allow teens to collaborate on projects with their
peers in other schools locally and around the world.
Life skills.
Leadership, ethics, accountability, adaptability,
personal productivity, personal responsibility, people
skills, self-direction, and social responsibility are
all skills that help make good citizens as well as good
workers. In-class group projects, sports and other
extracurricular opportunities can all help nurture these
important skills.
For permission to reprint this article, please contact
the Capital Region BOCES Communications Service.
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