Your school aims to give students the skills they need to flourish, eventually allowing them to find success in the professional world. But the professional world is changing as new fields and job categories emerge. How can you best prepare students to flourish in tomorrow’s job market?
LinkedIn recently released its 2017 U.S. Emerging Jobs Report, sharing top job trends, which skills are becoming table stakes in the professional world, and what’s on the horizon for the market as a whole. We want to share the highlights to help you consider how to prepare students effectively for the future job market.
The U.S. is expected to add 11.5 million jobs by 2026, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Jobs in the health care industry will see a large amount of this growth, due in part to an aging Boomer population that will require more care. However, The World Economic Forum estimates that 65% of children entering primary school today will ultimately end up working in completely new job types that don’t yet exist.
It's imperative to understand the jobs that are in demand now and to continue to track the market as it shifts. It probably comes as no surprise that the top areas of job growth over the next five years are projected to be technology-focused, both in tech and non-tech fields, according to LinkedIn’s findings. Specific positions on the rise include:
- Machine learning engineer
- Data scientist
- Sales development representative
- Customer success manager
- Big data development
- Full stack engineer
- Unity developer
The report projects that roles in the real estate, fitness, and retail industries will be widely available across the U.S. Jobs concentrated in urban areas, but spanning multiple industries, will typically be more software- and IT-focused.
When it comes to professional skills, the top five areas projected to see continued growth are:
- Management
- Sales
- Communication
- Marketing
- Start-ups
Beyond that, the survey asked hiring managers about the soft skills that were important to them when considering new candidates. They indicated that these soft skills are important today and will continue to be in the future:
- Adaptability
- Culture fit
- Collaboration
- Leadership
- Growth potential
- Prioritization
These findings are just the beginning of understanding the world that you’re helping today’s students prepare to tackle. By keeping in mind the skills students will need in the future, you can better tailor your programs and prepare students for success.
Additional ISM resources:
The Source for Private School News Vol. 13 No. 9 “Show Me the Money”—What Impacts Students’ Future Earning Potential?
Additional ISM resources for Gold members:
I&P Vol. 42 No. 12 We Need New Evidence for Old Meta-Messages
