Training students for the future
WHEN students make decisions about what they want to do in future, the most obvious place to seek inspiration is the older generation.
It is natural to look to those who have made it in their careers and aspire to replicate their success.
However, for students of the 21st century, the job market in which they will be operating when they graduate may bear little resemblance to the one in which their parents’ generation achieved success.
As today’s students consider their next steps in pursuing their university studies and future careers, they must bear in mind that the landscape may look very different from the one they expect.
A recent survey of the global job market suggested that 25% of jobs on offer today did not exist 10 years ago. New sectors and specialisms are becoming increasingly prominent in areas such as digital media and sustainability.
Job titles such as green architect, user experience designer and chief listening officer are becoming commonplace in a market where priorities are changing rapidly. With the last job offering a starting annual salary of US$75,000 (RM292,237.50), it is worth paying attention to what is happening here.
These rapid developments have gotten the Sixth Form team at Epsom College in Malaysia (ECiM) thinking about how it can best prepare students for these new opportunities, even those that might not exist yet.
One way in which the team hopes to do this is by promoting the Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) among ECiM students.
This qualification encourages students to develop important skills of independent enquiry, communication and organisation and is worth the same number of UCAS points as half of an A-Level.
Successful completion of the qualification requires students to research a topic of interest, which must be distinct from their A-Levels studies.
From their research, they must produce an outcome that communicates their findings, which can take the form of a dissertation, artefact or performance.
Recent projects completed by ECiM Sixth Form students include a dissertation on the impact of the British Empire on the economic growth of India, the creation of a piece of text compression software and a documentary on how attitudes to feminism differ between the United Kingdom and Malaysia.
Last year, 43% of students gained an A* grade for their EPQ and many of them were able to achieve their university offers with the help of a strong grade in EPQ.
Universities view the EPQ favourably, with Cambridge University making the following comment: “We welcome the introduction of the Extended Project and would encourage students to undertake one as it will help them develop independent study and research skills and ease the transition from school to higher education.”
In addition, Durham University recently reported that one in five successful applicants had completed the EPQ, suggesting that a wider skills profile is viewed desirably by the UK’s top universities.
Looking beyond preparation for university, the Sixth Form team at ECiM believes that the qualification will also prepare students for the unpredictability of the 21st century job market.
There is potential for the subject content of A-Levels to become increasingly remote from the future needs and requirements of employment. Old established professions such as accountancy and law are currently vying with new sectors as the careers of the future.
While we cannot predict what direction future developments are going to take, we can endeavour to train students in skills that will be transferable to a range of professions, including the ones that have yet to exist.