Are parents properly preparing their children to join the workforce of the future?
Tags: Math, Parenting, STEM, Coding, Science

A new survey conducted by OnePoll on behalf of Kodable found that fostering a well-rounded educational environment for their children may be the key to their future success.(Photo by stem.T4L on Unsplash)

Parents are already making moves to make sure their kids are prepared for the workforce of the future, according to new research.

A new survey of 2,000 parents of school-aged children found that fostering a well-rounded educational environment for their children may be the key to their future success.

In fact, nearly six in 10 of those polled (58%) have already taken proactive steps to help their kids be more well-rounded than they ever were growing up.

The study, conducted by OnePoll on behalf of Kodable, found 77% of parents have been supplementing their kids’ school curriculum with educational lessons at home to make sure they’re learning everything they feel like they need to learn.

Nearly three in four parents said they’ve taken it upon themselves to conduct science experiments outside of their school curriculum at home with their children.

And, of those, 73% said their kids are noticeably more interested in science and learning as a result.

But when it comes to preparing children for life as a working adult, is the current school curriculum a bit outdated?

According to the results, 83% of parents think education needs to shift to adapt to the workforce of the future.

And when it comes to their kids entering the workforce of the future, 59% of parents think having an understanding of computer science will be highly beneficial.

Fifty-four percent of parents expect engineering to be a very valuable skill while a further 54% think creativity will be an important tool to have at their disposal.

As a result, 82% of the parents surveyed hope education will begin evolving and changing to adapt to what the future workforce landscape is likely to look like.

Parents are using this time at home to help encourage their children to try new things.



“In fact, parents are hopeful that their children will be well prepared no matter what the future workplace will look like — having the skills and experiences necessary to succeed,” stated a spokesperson for Kodable.

But parents aren’t pigeonholing their kids into specific careers.

In fact, 78% want their children to explore a wide variety of different potential careers and interests before deciding what to actively pursue when they’re older.

Parents are also increasingly talking to their kids about their interests.

Three in four parents surveyed have already had discussions with their children about what their interests are.

And 73% of parents report their child has already begun showing interest in coding.

“Encouraging kids to pursue their interests is one of the best ways to foster a healthy educational environment for them,” added a spokesperson for Kodable.“Being active in their interests can help kids build self-confidence and understand the various career opportunities available to them in the future — without putting unnecessary pressure on them.”

TOP FIVE VALUABLE SKILLS FOR THE FUTURE WORKFORCE

Computer programming 59% Creativity 54% Engineering 54% Analytical (creative) thinking 52% Interpersonal communication 46%

>> Download the video and infographic for this research story <<

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