According to the experts at Deakin University, the straightforward, linear job path has become a thing of the past, leaving many young people more educated – and out of a job – than ever.
But the University said a new report from the Foundation for Young Australians or FYA suggested a bold new roadmap that young people, policy makers and educators could follow to shape a brighter future of work, together.
The new normal
Professor Dineli Mather, Pro Vice-Chancellor of Graduate Employment at Deakin University, explained that digital disruption had played a large part in reshaping our world, ‘Because increasingly, robots can do our jobs.’
With this has come the need for a new kind of graduate who’s able to make the world their own. “Communication, collaboration, critical thinking and creativity are the key skills employers value. They’re not interested in graduates or employees who can’t problem solve,” Prof. Mather said.
A broader scope
This premise is aligned with recent findings from the report produced by FYA. Through big data analysis of more than 2.7 million job advertisements, FYA has identified digital skills, critical thinking and creativity as key to navigating the modern world.
FYA’s key finding is that skillsets are not isolated. Rather, they can be used across a number of jobs that FYA has grouped into seven ‘clusters’:
- The Generators cluster, comprising jobs that require good customer service and organisational skills, and involve a high level of interpersonal interaction
- The Artisans cluster, comprising jobs that require good organisational skills and involve hands-on, manual tasks
- The Designers cluster, comprising jobs that require good problem-solving skills and involve using science and maths skills to design, construct or engineer buildings or products
- The Coordinators cluster, comprising jobs that require good organisational and customer service skills and involve process-oriented, administrative, behind the scenes tasks
- The Informers cluster, comprising jobs that require good interaction and problem-solving skills, and involve imparting information or education
- The Technologists cluster, comprising jobs that require good interaction and detail-oriented skills, and involve manipulating digital technology
- The Carers cluster, comprising jobs that require good interaction, problem solving and organisational skills and involve improving the mental or physical health of others.
He said if you were someone who had strong interpersonal skills, you were probably most suited to jobs in the ‘Generators’ cluster and could work as anything from a bank manager to an entertainer.
“But if you’re strong on maths and design skills, you’re able to shift between any number of careers in the ‘Designers’ cluster, which includes areas like geology and architecture.”
As young people navigate these changes, FYA estimates that future employees will have up to 17 different jobs over five different career areas – a far more diverse and unique path than ever before.
Source: Deakin University
