The Future of Business Technology

We all know that technology is changing our workplaces as dramatically as it is altering our social life and leisure time, and that the pace of technological change is only going to increase. It is widely understood that when the current generation of children leave college, a large proportion of them will be taking on job roles that do not currently exist.

This understanding of the way that technology will change business and employment is leading many educators to design education programs that focus on teaching children the essential skills they will need to get the most out of the business tech of the future. This is the approach taken by education establishments like the Stamford American Hong Kong International School which has an innovative technology program that arms pupils with the skills they will need for employment.

There are many areas in which educators need to work hard to build the necessary skill set of our current generation of children.

Statistics

The ability to analyze complex situations through statistical evidence will be a crucial skill in the business sector in years to come as Big Data and AI continue to develop. By giving our children a deep understanding of how statistics work, and how to interpret them, we will be equipping them to thrive as problem-solvers and business analysts.

Problem-Solving

Specific technical skills will always form a part of technology education, but given that much of the technology that will shape the future economy has not yet been developed, an increasing emphasis is being place on problem solving ability. Employers in the future will be looking out for applicants that can solve difficult technological issues with an innovative multi-disciplinary approach, so transferable problem-solving skills will be a priority.

Data-Powered Decision Making

With Big Data increasingly dominating business and influencing business decisions, there is less room for managers and others to make ‘gut’ decisions. Employees of the future will be expected to provide evidence for any decision or piece of analysis that they produce, and by teaching children to make decisions based on hard evidence, educators hope to both reinforce the importance of technological analysis and clear, data-based thinking.

Creativity

In the future, technology will increasingly be able to handle the routine and mundane aspects of work, freeing up human employees to focus on other areas. That will place an emphasis on creativity in the use of technology. If they are to become successful in the business environment of the future, students need to learn how to approach problems in a creative, free-thinking manner, directing technology rather than being led by it.

Flexibility

Along with creativity, children are also being taught to be flexible and to employ cross-discipline skills. Being able to code, analyze data, understand how technology works, and design technologically effective solutions to problems requires not just technical skills but the ability to switch between those skills as required. By giving their pupils open-ended and varying tasks to solve, educators can help develop the flexibility of thinking and the multi-skilled approach needed to serve our children well in the economy they will inhabit.