International conference will explore skills of the future

Cambridge-based social enterprise Form the Future will explore how to equip young people with the skills of the future at a virtual conference on Wednesday 28th April 2021.

Looking into virtual reality_ Form the Future connects young people to a world of career possibilities

Along with expert contributors who will discuss the role business and educators have to play in building the workforce of the future, the conference will showcase the output of the Erasmus+ project  ‘21st Century Skills for 21st Century Needs’ – which aims to bring businesses and schools together to raise awareness of the importance of 21st century skills. The project is made up of Form the Future and country partners from Norway, Denmark and Romania.

The growing skills gap in the UK, coupled with rapid technological advancements, point to the need for further education and up-skilling of the current workforce in order to ensure that the challenges of the future can be met. But if skills learning is effectively incorporated into the curriculum – we can ensure that the students of today are equipped with the skills they’ll need to become the workforce of tomorrow.

The conference will tackle these issues and more – exploring the need for education reform, the skills our economy needs now and in the future, and how we can create a curriculum that supports young people to develop the skills they need to secure great jobs.

Panellists include Dr Alison Wood, Academic Director of Homerton Changemakers; Tom Ravenscroft, Founder and CEO of The Skills Builder and Jimmy McLoughlin, Jimmy's Jobs of the Future and former adviser at Downing Street.

Cinzia Brusini, Head of Careers at Form the Future, said: “Ultimately, this is about working together to identify how we talk about skills with our young people. We know that young people feel more engaged in their learning when they perceive the relevance of what they do to their own and other people’s lives. Where possible, we need to support them in acquiring the skills which will enable them to make meaningful choices around their futures.”

The conference marks the end of the Erasmus+ project, 21st Century Skills for 21st Century Needs, which began in 2018 with the goal of understanding how best to prepare young people for the needs of the future, focusing on key skills for the 21st century and how to embed these into the curriculum on an international scale.

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The output of the project will be presented at the conference, including a handbook inspiring educators to highlight and facilitate skills learning among young people.

Conference host Form the Future is an award winning social enterprise based in Cambridge and expanding across the eastern region. Its mission is to help all young people move successfully from education into employment, providing the talent the region’s companies need. Form the Future connects young people to a world of career possibilities, inspires them to dream big and empowers them to fulfil their potential.

The conference takes place on 28th April – to find out more visit https://bit.ly/21CSkillsConf

 



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