What Will The Future Job Market Be Like?
As a parent or carer, you’re probably the biggest influence on your child’s future career plans. Young people today face a much more complex and competitive job market than previous generations have experienced, so how can you prepare them for a world of work that’s rapidly evolving?
The Fourth Industrial Revolution (advances in technology such as artificial intelligence, robotics and the Internet of Things) has created a whole new world of possibilities; furthermore, the Covid-19 pandemic has led to a faster adoption of new technologies by businesses. We’re much more adept now at using remote working and learning platforms and more accepting of advances in financial technologies (fintech) which are changing the way we pay for goods and services.
Such rapid advancements mean that it’s likely there will be jobs and careers out there that you and your child haven’t considered, but which offer real opportunities for them for the future.
So which jobs and skills are likely to be in demand as they enter the world of work and what will they need to do to keep up with change?
Where will the work be over the next 10 years?
Did you know that over 3 million of the 3.5 million new jobs created since 2010 were for high-skilled work (1)? The continuing growth of our knowledge industries means that graduate employment is pretty stable while automation is edging out jobs which involve routine tasks such as in administration, finance, customer service and some manufacturing production.
Any employer working with or wanting to adopt or develop new technologies is going to be seeking new talent. Jobs within the following sectors in particular need high-skilled people:
- creative and digital industries (such as film, TV, marketing and gaming)
- information and communication technology (such as cyber security, cloud computing and satellites)
- hi-tech engineering (such as aerospace, electric vehicles and food production)
- life sciences (such as genomics, smart technology and pharmacology)
Roles linked to climate change in areas such as innovation, sustainability, retrofitting, environmental impact and waste management will offer new opportunities as local, national and international governments strive to meet their environmental targets.
We’ll also see high demand for people to work in construction (especially skilled crafts and trades), logistics (notable LGV drivers) and hospitality and catering (especially chefs). The majority of vacancies in these sectors will be to replace people who have recently left or retired.
In the public sector the civil service is predicted to grow, and teachers - especially of maths, science and languages – will still be highly sought after. You’re probably aware of a continuing and critical demand for people to work in health and care across a range of jobs and levels – from care assistants and nurses to radiographers and psychologists; our ageing population means demand will only grow.
Top Tip 1 – that dream job may be waiting to be discovered!
Research shows that young people are still aspiring to work in a narrow range of careers that are familiar to them (2). Encourage your teenager to do their research and to think beyond what they might consider to be a ‘typical’ job in a sector. Think of the phrase, “You cannot be what you cannot see.”
Top Tip 2 – there is usually more than one route into a career
Landing a professional or graduate role doesn’t necessarily mean doing a full-time university course to get there. Higher and degree apprenticeships can take you all the way to a postgraduate level qualification in careers such as architect, clinical scientist, engineer, solicitor and district nurse. The new T levels are also based on areas of high future demand and can offer a vocational alternative to A levels alongside apprenticeships.
Which skills are employers looking for?
Most of the sectors mentioned above are struggling to recruit people with specific skills - these are often referred to as ‘skills shortages’ - you’ve probably heard stories in the media about a lack of HGV drivers or nurses. Some skills shortages get resolved within a few years but others are more long term.
You can find out which jobs are experiencing long-term skills shortages by viewing the UK Shortage Occupation List. Engineering, health and IT professionals are all examples of high-skilled roles currently in huge demand; other roles include artist, veterinarian and archaeologist.
Gaining a range of common skills for work, such as communication or good organisation, will help young people become more employable but one thing’s for certain, digital skills will be highly sought after and the majority of jobs will require some level of competence ranging from basic skills to coding. A recent study (3) found that just 18% of young people felt they had the advanced digital skills that employers might need, and with fewer hours spent teaching computer subjects in school, it may get harder for employers to find the right people in the future.
Top Tip 3 – boost digital skills through online learning
Young people can boost their basic or advanced digital skills through free online courses such as those available through OpenLearn and FutureLearn – look for those that give certificates of achievement once completed. In addition to gaining new skills, completing one of these courses also demonstrates a willingness to learn and determination – things employers are keen to see!
Prepare to keep learning
It’s clear that job roles will evolve as technology increases its foothold in our working lives (with some jobs disappearing altogether) and this means that we’ll be switching jobs and careers more frequently in the future. To be able to do this more smoothly we’ll all need to be prepared to keep learning new skills throughout our working lives. Whether through further training in the workplace or more formal learning outside of work, having a mindset that encourages growth will help to keep our young people employable.
If you want to learn more about the future of work, take a look at our article Top Jobs for the Future or explore some of the websites mentioned in our Careers Information on the Internet article.
1 Institute for Employment Studies
2 Investing in Career Guidance. Cedefop. 2021
3 Learning and Work Institute 2021
© Helen Janota, September 2021
