The future of work

One of the challenges higher education decision makers face is managing the balance of learning for the sake of learning and preparation for work. The tension is greatest in settings and countries where the very nature of work, and qualifications for it, are shifting. Art Bilger, a venture capitalist and founder of WorkingNation, predicts that 47% of the current jobs in the U.S.A. at all levels will disappear within 25 years. What will be required to deal with such a massive change?

Bryon Grisby, President of Moravian College, proposes that colleges and universities need to do a better job of helping students find their calling in life - their vocation. He does not dispute the value of learning for its own sake but says that "Liberal arts institutions can no longer stand pat with traditional models alone. They must start to embrace career exploration, technology and professional programs."

Both of these authors are based in the U.S.A. so their predictions should be understood in that context. However, as western higher education practices are adopted and as economies develop around the world, the nature of work and how citizens prepare themselves for it in the 21st century must be carefully analyzed.

Those who work in student affairs and services can offer great insight for decision makers by calling attention to the fact that student learning outside of class has significant merit when purposefully related to inside class learning. The out of class environment is where students often find their calling and where they are free to experiment in ways that will allow them to find the work worth doing. This experimentation may also open students' eyes to where work is moving, something that educators miss.