Generation Z — Are They Ready?

The word "Zoomer" is a name referring to Someone from Generation Z. The folks in this generation are those born between the late 90s and the early 2000s. Proceeding generations are Generation Y(The Millennials), Generation X(The Xers), The baby boomers, and The builders.

To be in the future is one thing and to be prepared for the future is another. Does schooling alone prepare this young generation for the future? NO is just the perfect answer. "Study hard, get good grades and you will find a high-paying job with great benefits" is what the society says, but this expression is totally wrong. Proper and effective education what this young generation needs. Knowing these young folks were born between 1995 and 2009, and they make the majority of our schools and even university populations.

A serial analyst, Mark McCrindle said:

"Schools are the 19th-century institutions using 20th-century buildings to teach 21st-century students and we wonder why traditional education sometimes struggles to connect; So if they don’t learn the way we teach, then let’s teach them the way they learn"

These folks are today’s students and tomorrow’s employees.

There is a general misconception that a whole lot of people including the general public make concerning what education is about. The word "educate" means something entirely different from that which many believe it to mean. An educated person is someone who has taken the purpose of his own mind and has developed it, through organized thoughts that aid him efficiently in the solution of his daily challenges and providing him the necessary skills to navigate and explore the real world. People believe that education is made up of the acquisition of knowledge, but in a truer sense it means one has learned how to use and apply knowledge.

The preceding generations have so many walking encyclopedias of knowledge in every society but they make poor use of it because they never know what to do with it. To obtain knowledge is human, but the ability to know what to do with it is Divine.

Another misconception people make is that schooling and education are synonymous terms. Schooling may enable a man to acquire much knowledge and assemble so many useful facts, but Schooling alone does not necessarily make a person educated. Education is mainly self-acquired and it comes through the development and use of the mind, and in no other way. So misapprehend your mind from the belief that schooling and knowledge are what education is about. The individual who knows where and how to procure knowledge he/she needs and when he/she needs it, is more of an educated person than one who has the knowledge but does not know what to do with it.

A lot of schools are facing increasing demands to prepare these "Zoomers" for economic growth, environmental and social changes, for jobs that have not yet been created, for technologies that have not been invented, and to solve challenges that have not been anticipated. Only a few innovative schools that know the difference between schooling and education can educate their students properly and meet up with this demand.

Soon enough Generation Z will join the workforce. Unfortunately, robots, automation, and Technology are on the verge of taking over jobs and they surely will.

One machine can do the work of 50 men, but no machine can do the work of an extraordinary man.

Scenarios like this have started to take place in banks, industries, hospitals, etc. and there is nothing anyone can do to stop it. Technological advancements such as Artificial intelligence, Quantum computing, Augmented reality, Machine learning, Robotics, Financial technology, the Internet of things, and Information technology are the future of jobs. To sound funny, if there were a profession that would never lose a single person to automation; it is Clergy. Could you imagine a robot conducting Sunday mass services or a funeral service?

The best way to predict the future is to create it. We hope schools will begin to give this young generation the proper education, empowerment, skills, and mentorship to create a future for the good of all and humanity.

To take the future, schools must instill in every young person STEM learning (Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics), Financial literacy, IT (Information Technology), entrepreneurship, Creative skills, Extra-curricula activities, and Core values.

STEM learning goes beyond the mere transfer of knowledge. It engages young people and equips them in critical thinking, problem-solving, creative, and collaborative skills and ultimately establishes connections between school, workplace, community, and the global economy. It is the knowledge needed to do science and technology effectively and enables the next generation of innovators.

When it comes to financial literacy and entrepreneurship, it is majorly about compelling someone to understand the difference between assets and liabilities, how to spend money, how to invest, how to successfully run a business, and ultimately how to procure wealth. Without financial literacy, these "Zoomers" will lack the solid foundation of financial success.

We need to encourage this young generation to be versatile, to keep an open mind and to learn effectively so that changes in the future can make them richer and richer. A lot of these young people will have a tough ride if they think money would fix the problems. Intelligence solves issues and makes money. Gone too soon is money without financial intelligence. Financial literacy is key.

The use of IT is also very important that will enable "Zoomers" to thrive in the future. IT influences all kinds of human activities from home to workplace. It also gives a person the flexibility he/she need in his/her work style. IT is always in high demand in all areas of work. The knowledge of IT is crucial.

Learning extra skills such as photography, new languages, public speaking, hairdressing and barbing, baking, catering, fashion designing, etc would rarely be taken over by technology. These skills are usually called "Side hustle". Skills are important because they guarantee an extra means of income.

Lastly is values. Every young person needs to be taught core values and their importance, from individual values to relationship values to societal values and organizational values. They are important because they help us to grow and develop. They help us to create the future we want to experience.

Every "Zoomer" needs all these majors in education to thrive in the future and beyond. Schools need to do better, Our educational sectors needs to do better for the benefit of all and humanity.