Announcement posted by ACS Distance Education 13 Nov 2013
One reason for the large unemployment statistics for this age group is that the world today is different than it was a decade ago. It is not the same for young people now as it was when past generations started work. Employers are expecting much more from their employees, and expect that young people have the skills and knowledge required to ‘hit the ground running’.
The reality is that young people are still preparing for their working lives in much the same way their parents and grandparents did; with the expectation that doing well at school and gaining a “mainstream” education for a “mainstream” job is the best way to guarantee future employment. This concept started to turn into a myth in the 90’s, and it becomes more of a myth every year.
This does not mean education is not important – but today it is what you learn that matters; not so much the qualifications you attain.
No one can predict the future precisely; but a couple of things are certain:
- The world and the workplace will keep changing
- Successful people will be those who can adapt; and can differentiate themselves from the competition, offering something to a client, customer or employer which cannot be found elsewhere.
How do young people become more adaptable, knowledgeable and have a skill set that is attractive to potential employers? Basically, they need to differ from their competition. They need to have research skills, be able to work independently, be knowledgeable about their employment area and be self- motivated.
So how is this achieved? Firstly, go to a different school! Look for educators that are passionate about the PROCESS of learning, assimilating and using information, and who will teach you HOW to learn. You then walk away not only with a different qualification from your competition, but with a framework that will help you to ‘think effectively’ for the rest of your life.ACS Distance Education courses can help young people gain a competitive advantage over other students by giving them the opportunity to work on these skills whilst studying. The courses utilise Problem Based Learning, and additionally offer the option of designing their own qualification, based on their individual career objectives.