| Wani Roslan |
A REGIONAL forum titled ‘Future-Ready Skills: Advancing a Future for Everyone’ featuring presentations by three guest speakers was held at the Seri Kerna Hall of Seameo Voctech centre yesterday.
The guest speakers, who shared with the audience knowledge on their respective fields, were Felicia Brown, Asia Pacific Regional Education Programmes Manager for Microsoft APAC; Emily Tham, Microsoft Innovation Educator Expert and Head of Mathematics Department of Chung Hwa Middle School; and Dr Paryono, Deputy Director (Professional Affairs) and Research Specialist at Seameo Voctech.
Dr Haji Mohd Zamri bin Haji Sabli, Seameo Voctech’s Centre Director, in his welcoming remarks highlighted that half the jobs in next five years – and conversely – half of today’s jobs will become extinct.
“As we are well aware the landscape of work is changing rapidly as we enter a new era fuelled by Industry 4.0, whereby work is being reshaped by the advances in artificial intelligence, rise in smart machines, and decline in the fulltime employee,” he said.
He added, “One impact of this shift is the need to redefine readiness to help all learners prepare for the new employment landscape.”
Dr Haji Mohd Zamri shared that according to the World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report, by 2020 over a third of the desired core skill sets of most occupations will comprise skills that are not yet considered crucial for the jobs today.
“Transforming the way students learn, the way educators teach, and aligning the skills employers want and the entrepreneurial skills to create jobs – is imperative in achieving this goal,” he said.
Dr Haji Mohd Zamri also stressed his belief that rather than moulding the workforce for the unknown jobs of the future, educational institutions should instead focus on imparting the adaptive skills needed for the future economy, adding that the ability to share, collaborate and negotiate – all soft skills – will continue to be important.
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