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 The essential knowledge and skills sets of today can quickly become outdated .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