Industrial revolution is marked with nine things; automation robots, simulation, horizontal and vertical system integration, internet of things, cybersecurity, clouds, additive manufacturing, augmented reality, big data and analysis. These have revolutionized the way our industry works and many goods can now be produced faster and more efficiently at lower costs.

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These changes bring significant transformation to the workforce since the new industry employs only 0.5% of our human resources. WhatsApp, for instance, only recruited a surprisingly small number of 55 people when being acquired by Facebook at $19 billion. This fact should urge many to prepare for the qualifications needed in the 21st Century.

However, the education system seems to still focus on getting kids to pass standardized tests instead of molding the new generation that can create value to fulfill the new demands. There is a growing competitiveness that is resulted from alterations in businesses and demography, and it is our job to foster these skills so we can succeed in today’s workforce and social life. Reading literacy, mathematical literacy, scientific literacy, communication and collaboration, critical thinking and problem solving, and creativity are deemed to be the most crucial skills needed to keep up and thrive in 21st Century (Jerald, 2009; Pacific Policy Research Center, 2010).

Reading Literacy

This no longer refers to how much time you spend reading or facts you remember, but about our ability to learn from what we read. Many reading literacy tests will display different visual data such as charts, advertisements, graphs, maps, brochures, and diagrams. While reading is associated with a leisure activity, it now becomes necessary for us to maximize the information we get to create and produce something. Let our kids learn how to accomplish tasks by reading, be it to operate a new equipment, assemble stuffs, create a new dish, etc.

Mathematical Literacy

Rather than focusing on answering multiple choice questions in our math lessons, comprehending real-life quantitative information should become our goal. This helps with making financial decisions such as understanding different rates of interests, or the costs of goods. Because of its use for understanding data, the systematic thinking of our kids should be exercised regularly. This is imperative in many aspects of life including in for analyzing international economy, welfare, or even our health-care system.

Scientific Literacy

Science’s involvement in our routines is undeniable yet only few truly understands how it works. This subject even becomes a nightmare for many people despite its importance. Teach yourself and your kids major scientific topics, along with the most trending and innovative ones. Discuss and understand how it might impact our society. Make sure to get yourself used to many scientific methods such as observing, testing, and interpreting data as they are incredibly useful when being applied in daily life.

Financial Literacy

Communication and Collaboration

The diversity that the global economy brings demands us to be able to communicate and collaborate with people around the world. We will need to speak different languages and understand the aspects embedded to them in terms of cross-cultural communication, socio-linguistics, and even genderlect.

Collaboration will be formed globally, which requires people to work peacefully and respectfully with others that share varied backgrounds. Being versatile, open-minded, and considerate is needed to create effective collaboration. Many companies are building partnership and teaming up with others to stay exist, while those who resist this idea fail to compete.

Critical Thinking and Problem Solving

Our education system consider these skills to be important to we will know how to solve our societal and global problems. The skills to analyze and take actions without being supervised are also badly needed in the workplace. People who possess these skills are trained to think on their feet and become self-directed so they can face various problems that might never have been encountered before.

Creativity and Innovation

Creativity will be the skills that connect the dots of information so we can come up with different innovations. As our industry evolves, new challenges will merge. Owning these skills exercise us to be better-prepared to find the solution to ill-structured tasks.

Global Awareness

A thorough understanding of people’s upbringings, world’s religions, lifestyles, cultures, norms, values will result in more harmonious world. This knowledge is used to acknowledge global issues so we can compromise and find a win-win solution rather than sending people to die in wars. Promoting this will foster an attitude of respect and understanding, even of those who are our extreme opposites.

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