Gen Z and Future of Work

Technology overuse has indeed weakened their life skills.

Gen Z and Future of Work 

Schools, as well as universities, must carve out part of their curriculum to teach life skills. If we know that we're going to have a life skills shortage in the future, we need to start preparing for that today.

It’s a fact that Generation Z (born between 1995 to 2009) and Generation Alpha (born between 2010 to 2020) have been particularly hard hit by the coronavirus crisis. A Deloitte study confirms that Gen Z is very concerned about their ability to communicate and they recognize that their social skills are weak. 

A study by Cigna of 20,000 people found that the growing amount of time these teens are spending on their mobile devices, and specifically on social media, is contributing to the growth in their anxiety and that Gen Z scored highest for loneliness even over senior citizens (48% vs. 39%). 

According to one more recent study, Gen Zs acknowledge they need help in developing interpersonal skills as they find themselves struggling to get into the workforce.

Technology overuse has indeed weakened their soft skills (please read life skills) while simultaneously automating technical skills, increasing the demand for workers with strong life skills. 

These life skills will be in short supply in the future, as per a global survey by The Workforce Institute. Jeff Weiner, LinkedIn CEO says that the largest professional skills gap right now is in the area of life skills - the stuff robots can't do yet.

Melissa Kersey, McDonald’s USA chief people officer asserts, “Life skills, such as teamwork, people skills, and responsibility are seen as more important than hard skills, such as computer programming or accounting, for positioning young generation for success at the beginning of a career. If we don’t address the current gap in life skills, particularly for Gen Zs, it will have a detrimental impact on the future of work.” 

According to McKinsey’s research, between 2016 and 2030 demand for life skills will grow across all industries by 26 per cent. Schools, as well as universities, must carve out part of their curriculum to teach life skills. 

If we know that we're going to have a life skills shortage in the future, we need to start preparing for that today. As per a recent Tallo survey of over 2,400 Gen Z students, universities should focus on helping Gen Zers translate those skills they’ve developed as students into life skills that will be attractive for potential employers. 

Until this happens, there will always be a life skills gap. To remedy this and build their confidence, one step universities can take is to help their students equip themselves with essential life skills.  

In addition to this, the COVID-19 pandemic caused turmoil in the entire world and education was one of the worst affected areas. The pandemic disrupted education in over 150 countries and affected 1.6 billion students. 

Here are 10 most important life skills, (as compiled by the Forbes Coaches Council) which need to be inculcated by the next generation to become more life-fit and industry-ready,

1. Empathy

2. Interpersonal Skills

3. Emotional Intelligence

4. Curiosity and Positivity

5. Active Listening

6. Humility

7. Communication Skills

8. Creative Problem-Solving

9. Resilience

10. Observation Skills

******