Leandra Nair & Felicia Yee 4B

Q1 KEY POINTS

• the future of work is transparent
1. with the advancement of technology, it is easy to track employees productivity so your salary is tied down to the bottom line. the more productive you are, the more you earn.

• the future of work is flat
1. communication in the workforce is key, and with technology, project teams can work together from any anywhere in the world. Location does not matter

• the future of work is competitive
1. a degree might not matter as much anymore
2. the competition for jobs are not just limited to where you live, but one might face competition from anywhere around the globe as it has become common to hire overseas contractors.
3. outsourcing has become an innovative and common idea.
4. to be hired, you have to stand out

• the future of work is on demand
1. a lifetime career is not guaranteed
2. many are choosing contract relationships over hiring new employees
3. project teams and virtual teams; being able to work from anywhere, with different individuals with different talents

Q2 WHICH EDUCATION SYSTEM (EUROPEAN OR ASIAN) BEST PREPARES STUDENTS FOR THE WORK OF THE FUTURE (KNOWLEDGE ECONOMY) ?

We believe that the European education system better prepares students for the future as it encourages students to do independent learning and promotes a passion for lifelong learning. As reported in an article by the National Education Association, In a Finnish classroom, it is rare to see a teacher standing at the front of a classroom lecturing students for 50 minutes. Instead, students are likely to determine their own weekly targets with their teachers in specific subject areas and choose the tasks they will work on at their own pace. In a typical classroom, students are likely to be walking around, rotating through workshops or gathering information, asking questions of their teacher, and working with other students in small groups. They may be completing independent or group projects or writing articles for their own magazine.

This cultivates independence and active learning which allows students to develop metacognitive skills that help them to frame, tackle, and solve problems; evaluate and improve their own work; and guide their learning processes in productive ways.

In the future, work will not just require academic qualifications like a degree, but instead employers would be looking to hire people who stand out from the crowd, These people are creative and have a positive attitude towards learning and improving. The education system in Finland allows for independent learning and ample opportunities for students to acquire and learn, instead of rushing through lessons and drilling countless practice questions. Although with a fast-paced lesson that works towards achieving good results does improve one’s learning and helps students to get the required practice, it restrains their creativity and leaves little room for students to express themselves.Furthermore in many Asian schools, the students are spoon fed with information and they just absorb it. It is rare that they ask questions and do their own research to delve deeper into the topic.  Hence, the European education system is better at preparing students for the future as the students do their own independent learning and it encourages students to develop a passion for lifelong learning.