The skills today’s children will need tomorrow are increasingly technological 

The rapid advance of technology is not only changing the way we live our lives, it is also influencing the occupational skills that are required of the population.

By the year 2030, many of today’s job titles will have become relics from the past, while new vocations and skills will be in high demand.

According to research commissioned by nbn and conducted by The Regional Australia Institute, the most sought after workers in 2030 and beyond will be:

• High-touch, relating to trades and the construction industry
• High-care within the nursing, child care and wellness industries
• High-tech, relating to all things digital

The good news is that thanks to access to fast broadband, Australian children are on track to ‘play on an even field,’ in the job market of the future. This is the case no matter if they grow up in busy urban areas or remote locations in the country.  

Online skills more important than ever 

In less than fifteen years’ time, one in two Australians will require skills in programming and software development, plus the ability to build digital technology in order to be competitive in the job market.

The ‘Future of Work: Setting Kids up for Success’ report also found that by 2021 at least 90 per cent of the workforce will need a basic level of digital literacy in order to communicate with colleagues, partners and clients, to be able to find information and to access goods and services on their employer’s behalf.

This highlights more than ever how important it is to engage young people in a digital education.

Digital resources for kids 

In response to their findings, nbn and the Regional Australia Institute have created an online toolkit that provides parents and children with the skills they will need for the future.

This toolkit delivers insights into technical abilities that will be required, as well as offering fun activities that encourage children to develop their technical skills, their creativity and their entrepreneurial capabilities.

These topics covered in the toolkit include:

• Problem solving
• Digital skills
• Innovation
• Connect
• Design and develop
• Hands on with tech

According to Jack Archer, CEO at the Regional Australia Institute, “Once the rollout of the nbn™ network is complete, our kids are going to face a radically different work environment from the one we see today.

“Our future workforce will demand that young people not only know how to program and interact with technology, but also know how to communicate, collaborate and think critically.”

Mr Archer is excited to be supplying tools for families. “In partnership with nbn, we’ve moved beyond peak noise on this topic to do something really useful and practical about it,” he says.

“We’ve delivered an online toolkit to make sense of the future of work, what it means for kids and their parents and to provide them with the tools they need now to build capability for the future.”

Peter Gurney, General Manager of Community Affairs at nbn™, adds that technology has influenced the employment landscape over the past decade and will continue to do so, “impacting the digital skills that young Australians need for the future of work.”

“Whether you live in the city or in the bush, with access to fast broadband via the nbn™ network, Aussies will have an even playing field to learn the right skills for future success.

“This dynamic job environment will require Australian kids to shape how they work to deal with competing priorities,” says Mr Gurney.

“The jobs of the future will leverage our digital infrastructure to connect to people, consumers and markets all around the country and the globe.”

There are dozens of fulfilling careers shaping up to be on offer, including artificial intelligence experts, high-level data analysts, virtual reality designers and roles that have not even have been thought of yet.

Preparing kids with the necessary skills now will help to set them up for success when they are ready to enter the workforce.

Access the details of ‘The Future of Work – Setting Kids up for Success’ and take a look at the online toolkit via www.thefutureofwork.net.au.

Read more about how tomorrow's workforce is being transformed by digital technology.