Education for a World of Opportunity
We collaborated with IBSCA to commission a piece of research – Education for a World of Opportunity – to gather the opinions of British small and medium-sized enterprises and leading global organisations to understand the skills that will be valued in the future workforce.
In 2022, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) accounted for 5.47 million private sector businesses, out of a total of 5.5 million in the UK. SMEs are the backbone to the UK economy and play a pivotal role in employment opportunities and opening new markets, but the views of their leaders are not always sought or understood.
As worldwide industries continue to evolve and communities and societies adapt to meet new sets of challenges, we recognise that it is imperative for education to keep up with this change to enable students to be prepared to face not only today’s challenges but be able to predict and effectively overcome those that are yet to arise.
With this in mind, we determined to investigate the answers to the following questions: “What is the purpose of education?” and “How can we, as educators and parents, best prepare children for an ever-changing, uncertain future?”.
ACS collaborated with the IB Schools and Colleges Association (IBSCA) to commission a piece of research – EDUCATION FOR A WORLD OF OPPORTUNITY – to gather the opinions of British SMEs and leading global organisations, such as Pepsi Lipton, Amazon, McKinsey & Company and the Royal College of Arts, to understand the skills that will be valued in the future workforce. Armed with this information, we can ensure that we are delivering an education that is fit for purpose, now and in years to come, to ensure that all ACS students graduate from our schools future-ready.
THE ROLE OF EDUCATION
Pre and post-pandemic, there continue to be conversations about the role of education and the validity of national curriculums. We wanted to know what employers believe is the purpose of education and we found that over two-thirds of SMEs believe that the purpose of education is to develop people into decent human beings. Just less than a quarter of SME leaders disagree and think it is to develop efficient workers; an opinion held mainly by those operating in transport and distribution, education and retail sectors.
While conflicting opinions are indicative of the turbulent job market, the research shows that employers agree on the types of personal skills that students need to be successful in the workplace. Communication (88%), an inquiring mind (78%) and critical thinking skills (76%) were ranked as the most favourable skills for entry-level candidates to display.
It is, therefore, clear that students need an education that focuses on more than just subject knowledge. That’s why, at all ACS International Schools, students have the opportunity to undertake the International Baccalaureate (IB) programmes, where they benefit from a broad, yet balanced curriculum, while developing skills such as those listed above through the IB learner profile.
If I get a CV and I see the International Baccalaureate, straight away it will be on the pile of CVs I want to go through, regardless of the other elements. It’s almost a shortcut on a CV that tells me that this kid is internationally-minded and has gone through a rigorous programme, probably is quite open minded and flexible in the way they think. It’s a really solid foundation
EXPERIENCE OF INTERNATIONAL-MINDEDNESS
Over the last five years, students have witnessed events which have had a profound international impact. As part of the research, we also explored the importance of being internationally minded; to understand and value different cultures and opinions and embrace diversity. 40% of SME decision-makers ranked international-mindedness as important or very important in their recruitment of entry-level candidates in our survey.
We are proud of the rich tapestry of cultures among our learning communities, which helps to ensure that our students are equipped with the ability to practise positive values and exercise cultural empathy.
Everything is international these days. We can learn so much from colleagues all over the world, be that big or small economies. The better we understand and the more open-minded we are, the more chance of succeeding and coming up with good solutions to everything, whether it is in business or in the challenges facing the planet.
RECRUITING PARAMETERS
The results of our research show that subject knowledge in isolation is no longer enough to be successful in the world of work. Only a quarter of SME leaders believes that having subject knowledge is very important and, instead, favours the development of personal and professional skills.
Subject knowledge is irrelevant if students do not know how to apply it and the best way for students to learn how to do this is in real-world contexts. Through the IB Career-related Programme, our students at Hillingdon and Egham learn real-world practical approaches to learning, which prepares them both for university and career pathways. By combining academic subjects with their own professional interests our students develop sought after transferable skills in applied ethics, intercultural understanding and effective communication.
A TECHNOLOGY-DRIVEN ECONOMY
It is no secret that technology will continue to disrupt the job market and findings from our research show that students must learn to embrace with technology in order to thrive. 73% of SMEs surveyed believe that everyone needs basic IT skills to be able to function in the workplace, and a third believe that everyone should be aware of technological developments that could benefit their organisation.
At ACS schools, we use technology to enhance learning and teaching to help all our students make ethical decisions about how to use it. This means that they are learning and being assessed in more meaningful ways, with greater student engagement.
Education for a World of Opportunity means getting students ready to not only secure their dreams but to be assured that they have the ability to change the world for the better. At ACS International Schools, we are proud to deliver an education that develops confident individuals, who are caring contributors and effective learners in school and beyond the classroom, and we look forward to seeing them thrive and be future changemakers.
SEE THE RESEARCH
Click on the image opposite to read the full report.
