IB Graduates Versus the Workplace of the Future
By Cathy LeGrand, Librarian
Eastman Kodak was the world leader in sales in photography equipment and supplies – until digital cameras came along and packed Kodak’ s business model up in mothballs. Those of us eager for the first self-driving cars to deliver us from the need to be behind the wheel are not thinking about how such technological advances will render the real-life job of“ driver” obsolete.
On the other hand, what if the workplaces and households of the future do include the friendly robots and flying cars that we have been promised? What will our daily lives and occupations look like if we are indeed freed from routine and mundane forms of labour? The essential knowledge and skills sets of today can quickly become outdated. What competencies will stand the test of time?
Schools grapple with how to provide education for this unknowable future. How will the school children of today navigate the uncharted waters of tomorrow? What skills and knowledge will be valuable in a future in which nothing is certain but the persistence of change and disruption?
One obvious answer is the skills and knowledge that cannot be done more accurately by a computer or more efficiently by an automated system. People will always be called on to do those things that people inherently do better than machines,“ soft” skills based on interpersonal interaction and human ingenuity.
The key competencies of the future are already among the deliverables of an International Baccalaureate( IB) education.
I will always remember how LCIS gave us exposure to the diverse nationalities of the students and teachers. This exposure, together with the rigorous academic requirements of the IB program, has enabled me to succeed in my career in the Far East, thousands of miles away from home. The IB programme was the first time I was really pushed out of my comfort zone, which prepared me for the real-life challenges that I face on a daily basis.
Eduardo Vazquez( LCIS Class of 2006) Investment Management & Business Development Shangri-La Asia Ltd.
All historical images are in the public domain