Skills, careers and financial wellbeing: preparing your kids for the future of work.

Generative AI is disrupting some jobs while simultaneously creating new ones – the World Economic Forum predicts a 40% rise in AI-related jobs to 2027. So how might we guide our children for jobs that might not exist yet?  

Foster curiosity and life-long learning 

Being open and being able to learn new ideas and perspectives to build skills and knowledge throughout life can ensure your kids are able to adapt to change - a core soft skill required in today’s ever-changing environment.  

Encourage their curiosity by researching answers to their questions with them, learning new things with them, and enrolling in extra-curricular activities or holiday camps relevant to their interests. Learning is a lot more enjoyable when your child is already interested. 

Another way to encourage your children is to share your own experience with life-long learning. Perhaps you've completed short courses, micro-skilling, listened to a podcast, gained accreditation or had experiences at work which have enabled to you to continue to learn, keep your skills up-to-date and achieve personal fulfillment. Leading by example can be a powerful educational tool for parents and carers.  

Build valuable core skills  

Preparing for a job in technology doesn’t necessarily mean spending more time in front of a screen or cramming technical knowledge (which becomes dated quickly in any case). While the foundations of mathematics, reading, writing and problem solving are important, soft skills are equally critical – teamwork, collaboration, empathy and negotiation, which can be built at home through discussing what you see in videos or movies, social interactions, playing games and sharing chores.  

 Give them hands on experience 

Work experience programs, or volunteering in the field they're interested in can be beneficial. There are also virtual work experience programs, like the one offered by leading education group, Year13. In partnership with organisations such as CommBank and Tech Council Aust (TCA), Year13 offers free and easily accessible programs that allow young people to see what a job is all about, and complete tasks and activities relevant to specific in demand careers such as Software Engineer or Data Scientist. Participants can complete as many job experiences programs as they like and can earn themselves a certificate of completion along with points towards cash and rewards. 

It’s important not to shame children for career choices that you may not be familiar with or understand. Instead, talk openly about the factors they may consider when deciding what they want to do – e.g. what they’re good at, what gives them a sense of purpose and excitement, what they can earn money for (and how much).  

It’s never too early to get a start; whether it’s helping them develop soft-skills – like instilling a constant curiosity to learn – or exposing them to practical on-the-job experience. 

So, even if you personally don’t think it’s a great idea, if your kid wants to become an influencer, create games on Roblox in their free time, or set up an online candle business, let them. Even if it’s short lived, they will learn valuable lessons about what’s involved and how much effort is required.