May Professional Development Workshop Recap
June 11, 2021
Anna Porter contributed to this post.
On May 26, we were joined by Cameron Mirza for a workshop on, “The Future of Learning and Skill Development Post-Pandemic.” Cameron is the Chief of Party for USAID-IREX, and one of his many missions is to improve educational systems globally by keeping them updated and focused on the future. During the workshop, Cameron discussed forecasts of where technology will take education, important global learning trends, and the benefits and drawbacks of online learning.
Technological Advancement
Much of Cameron’s presentation centered around the idea of the increasing importance and utilization of technology globally. As technology advances and becomes readily available, the workforce shifts, ways of working and learning change, and new opportunities arise. Cameron pointed towards a startling fact that, as of 2014, “more than half the waking day is spent on tech and media” in the United States. Additionally, lower-skilled jobs like data-entry are declining as human workers are being replaced by technology. Cameron revealed a fact from a 2020 report done by the World Economic Forum that, within the next five years, “50% of all employees will need reskilling,” which accounts for those employees who are not going to be replaced by technology altogether.
However, technological growth comes with benefits as well. For instance, online education allows people to learn at their own pace from any location and at any time. The easy accessibility of online learning has allowed people to follow their passions on their own time, and has helped entrepreneurs learn how to better their businesses and strengthen their ideas through virtual courses. Many of these educational opportunities were brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, which required quick adaptation to socially distant means of learning and vast educational innovation.
Global Learning Trends
Outside of technological advancements, Cameron identified many trends in global learning as well. The first notable trend he mentioned was the high likelihood of women to trust education and partake in it. This trust makes women “statistically more likely to take an online course than men.” Another interesting trend is that Gen Z shows the most interest in online learning and the greatest belief in the positive power of education.
Cameron also discussed how a wider range of qualifications is now accepted by jobs and employers, since skills acquired through formal education don’t always match exactly what industries are looking for. Some major companies have even created their own certificate programs, with potential for entire company-sponsored educational institutions to appear in the future. With this change in accepted qualifications, many professionals are now seeking out online educational resources to get ahead at work and acquire microcredentials. This may also mean professionals are taking up online courses to learn new skills or follow passions they might want to pursue in the future. This coincides with another current trend, which shows that people no longer see their jobs as “for life,” and often expect to change industries throughout their careers. The post-COVID-19 job landscape has definitely heightened this trend in particular.
When thinking about trends in learning, Cameron reminded us it is also important to note the subjects that young people currently want to learn about. These include issues of gender, sexuality, and race, as well as skills like financial literacy. Both mental and physical health are also becoming increasingly sought-out topics.
Looking into the Future
As we look into the future of learning, it’s important to get the input of younger generations in the midst of higher education. Millennials and members of Gen Z see augmented reality and virtual reality as the future of learning. Social media is also an incredibly popular tool, which is something younger generations have been using increasingly for advocacy and self-education.
Cameron also highlighted the necessary shift in educational systems to integrate humanities back into curriculums. While STEM is innovative and important, the humanities and social sciences cannot be forgotten about. This is often referenced as the shift from STEM to STEAM, which includes “Arts” in the popular acronym for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics.
As the presentation concluded, Cameron left two pieces of parting advice. Number one, “don’t expect radical change,” and number two, “be excited for the future.” If you’re interested in watching the full workshop, it is available on our Facebook page which is linked here.
Interested in Attending a Workshop with Gii?
Our next workshop will be held on Wednesday, June 16, with Dawn Metcalfe. The presentation will focus on, “Conflict: Why we avoid it, Why we need it, and How to get more of it.” You can register here. We’d love to see you there!
