How schools around the world are preparing children for jobs of the future

A sustainable school made from bamboo. Village classes where children pick their own project and present findings to an audience. Students who spend 80% of their time interacting with technology. 

What do these have in common? They’ve all been spotlighted as Schools for the Future – innovative institutions that give children the future work skills they need to thrive in a world of globalisation and rapidly-changing technology.

Without urgent action, half of all young people in the world – about 825 million – will not have the most basic skills necessary by the year 2030. The youth skills and learning crisis is one of the most pressing issues facing children, schools, teachers and parents today. 

A report by the World Economic Forum (WEF) – whose annual meeting is held in Switzerland this week – has warned: “Education systems have grown increasingly disconnected from the realities and needs of global economies and societies. Education models must adapt to equip children with the skills to create a more inclusive, cohesive and productive world.”

As political, business, cultural and other leaders of society meet at the WEF summit in Davos, one of the major themes is Society and Future of Work. That challenge has been embraced by Theirworld through our Code Clubs and Skills for Their Future programmes, which ensure marginalised and disadvantaged girls and young women get an equal chance to fulfil their potential.

We launched the Code Clubs programme in 2016 and have supported over 1,300 girls through projects in Zimbabwe, Kenya, Uganda, Nigeria, Tanzania and Lebanon.