On How Quality Education is a Key for Tomorrow’s Quality Life

Written by: Amira Boutouchent, Co-Founder & CEO, BRIDGR, Canadian Delegate, G20 Young Entrepreneurs’ Alliance Summit

A few weeks ago the G20 Young Entrepreneurs’ Alliance (YEA) was held in Berlin. A summit during which, young entrepreneurs have been able to discuss matters related to digitalization and follow up discussions upon the 2016 G20 leaders’ commitment to advance innovation and economic growth, including the G20 Entrepreneurship Action Plan. As a result to these discussions, three main recommendations have been produced on Quality Education, Smart taxation schemes and Entrepreneurs’ Mobility.

Knowing that some studies show that 65% of today’s students will be employed in jobs that don’t exist yet, matters related to quality education appeared to be at the center of most of the discussions held by the delegates of the G20 YEA.

As technology is rapidly reshaping the world, many people worry that technology will replace humans soon enough. Even if today, a lot of tasks might be replaced, education won’t be one of the thing that will disappear, it will actually have to change and adapt to tomorrow’s needs. That’s why, both educators and business people have an important task ahead of them: identify and educate the next generation to solve problems we’ve never seen before and won’t actually see for years. The current fast digitalization we’re living won’t help, it’s actually urging us to find new ways everyday and rather quickly.

The main question the working group was concerned with was how to make sure our education system empower the next generation with digital competencies, STEM education (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) as well as venture creation skills. To be able to do that, we need to make sure our education system understands the current and future challenges the workforce as well as the workplaces will face.

First, we need to make sure that we actually understand what digitalization means, for our world as well as for us as humans. The next generation need to be able to question the digital tools they will use and be able to come up with solutions to tomorrow’s challenges.

Second, empower students with entrepreneurship and problem solving skills that will allow them to adapt quickly to change and generate the solutions they will need to move forward.

Third, all the actors of education need to be part of the changes needed; Students need to have a voice as well as teachers that are at the center of this evolution. Even if their role will most likely change, they will still be important actors of educations and shall be actively part of the evolution of this important field! Institutions and Businesses can’t be left over too. Everyone will have its piece to add to the global picture so we can successfully provide the needed skills to the next generations.

Forth, quality education shall embrace diversity and be available for everyone, equally. Internationalization is a key point of the future of education, that’s why education can’t be cost dependant as it will impact who studies as well as what they study and how and where they will be studying.

To sum this up, education is for sure important to have a sustainable development and insure a quality life for next generations. Governments, educators as well as businesses need to work together to ensure a sustainable and quality education system that will empower the next generation and provide them with the tools they will need to ensure a quality life for themselves!

We definitely still have a lot of work to do to ensure quality education for everyone, our working group is still up and working to build recommendation and concrete initiative for our leaders to work toward the same goal. If you have any suggestion on how we can make this happen, please reach out to me and I will make sure the group will receive your ideas.

To read more about the G20 YEA Comunique, click here.