Future Skills: what makes us employable?

por Mike Mayor
Moderador: David Lozano

Abstract

EA key role for educators is to prepare students for the workplace, but at a time of great change in job markets, how do we know where to focus our efforts? Much has been written about the impact of technology and automation on society and work. Some jobs, it is suggested, will all but disappear and today’s students will be applying for roles which currently don’t exist. So how do we prepare these learners for such future uncertainties? What are the skills of the future that will ensure a place in tomorrow’s job market?

Whilst few would deny that English is a future skill in and of itself, it is no longer a passport to guaranteed employment. As English proficiency increases around the world, employers have access to a larger pool of qualified candidates and can afford to be more demanding in their requirements. These same employers continue to express concerns about the skills gap amongst potential employees. In a Gallup poll from 2013, 96% of chief academic officers felt they were adequately preparing students for future employment, whilst only 11% of employers felt the same. So why this disconnect?

This presentation looks at research into the skills needed for jobs in 2030 – and suggests how English language teachers can integrate these into their curriculum.

Biodata

Mike Mayor is Director, Global Scale of English at Pearson. In this role, Mike heads up research into creating audience-specific learning objectives aligned to the Global Scale of English, working with Content teams to ensure that these learning objectives underpin all new products and services. On leaving university, Mike worked as a teacher of English in France before entering the world of publishing as a lexicographer. Mike joined Pearson in 2003 and headed up the Longman dictionaries list until his move to the Global Scale of English in 2013. Mike has a BA (Hons) in French Language and Literature and an MPhil in English and Applied Linguistics from Cambridge University.