The first industrial revolution transformed education. Suddenly children from every socioeconomic status had free access to schools, not just wealthier families who could afford to have their kids away from the farm or factory for a day.
As we enter the fourth industrial revolution (4IR), we again sit on the precipice of change. This time, it’s less about who’s attending classes and more about what they’re learning in them.
Now is the time for schools to update their curriculum to reflect the real-world realities of our tech-focused, security-susceptible society, so students can enter the job market with timely, transferable skills.
Nearly 7 in 10 (69%) of companies have reported talent shortages and difficulty hiring – a 15-year high, reports multinational staffing firm ManpowerGroup. More specifically, the global shortage of cybersecurity workers has been steadily increasing in every region of the world but one with 2.72 million unfilled job openings as of October 2021.
Like it or not, stats like this tell us something about what students are learning in school – and what they’re not.
Within the next 10 years, the field of cybersecurity is expected to nearly double. But if educators and administrators don’t add cybersecurity to the lesson plans, the number of vacant jobs may double, too.
Educators have a responsibility to prepare students for the opportunities ahead. These IBM-endorsed cybersecurity focus areas can help them develop the most career-ready skills for a variety of in-demand IT fields.
From artificial intelligence and quantum computing to biotechnology and nanotechnology, emerging tech is everywhere. But with expanding reliance on sophisticated tech comes increasing, sophisticated threats. This is the skills gap we must prepare for now, or risk students missing out on the opportunities of tomorrow.
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