To create a future-ready workforce, students also need to develop soft skills such as emotional resilience and creativity. Photo originally from RyanKing999.
Routine jobs are disappearing as technology reshapes industries worldwide, pushing schools to develop reforms to create a future-ready workforce, experts say.
The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), organizer of the Programme for International Student Assessment, or PISA, emphasizes that today’s world no longer rewards what students know, but what they can do with that knowledge.
“Routine tasks are disappearing, replaced by technology-intensive roles,” said Professor Andreas Schleicher of the OECD during a session at the 10th Annual Public Policy Conference (APPC) on “Ensuring a Future-ready Workforce and Protecting Workers’ Wellbeing amidst Technological Change.”
The Philippine Institute for Development Studies led this one of four sessions, highlighting the need to invest in education and skills development to build a future-ready workforce.
Schleicher emphasized how global trends like artificial intelligence and climate change are changing the skills required in the workforce.
He stressed that education systems must now focus on teaching both technical skills and essential soft skills, including problem-solving, creativity and emotional resilience, to help students adapt to the rapidly evolving job market.
In the same discussion, Far Eastern University Public Policy Center’s Dr. Michael Alba warned that the Philippines must address its educational challenges, especially given the country’s potential demographic advantage.
The country has a young and growing workforce, but without proper education reform, this opportunity could be wasted.
Alba called for reforms that would align education with the needs of a future workforce, especially in promoting gender equity and improving access to the labor market.
“Without effective education reforms and workforce alignment, this demographic dividend could be wasted,” Alba said, adding that education must not only provide skills but also offer ways to access jobs.
Experts at the conference agreed that the education system must evolve to prepare students for the demands of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
They called for more collaboration between government, industry and schools to help workers gain the skills needed for today’s tech-driven economy.
With sectors like construction, healthcare and digital services urgently needing skilled workers, they stressed the importance of training students with practical skills to meet immediate job demands while also preparing them for the future.
