There are two major trends in the world that pose a fundamental challenge, yet also provide opportunities, to our educational system. One is the world is shifting from an industrial economy to a knowledge economy. The other is that today's students--the "net" generation--are very differently motivated to learn.

In the 21st century, mastery of the basic skills, such as reading, writing, and math is critical, but not enough. We face a tremendous increase of readily available information with new technologies that are constantly changing. To be competitive in the workplace our students will need these must-have skills:

Critical thinking and problem-solving
Collaboration across networks and leading by influence
Agility and adaptability
Initiative and entrepreneurialism
Effective oral and written communication
Accessing and analyzing information
Curiosity and imagination

Six in 10 workers will require training before 2027, but only half of workers are seen to have access to adequate training opportunities today. The highest priority for skills training from 2023-2027 is analytical thinking, which is set to account for 10% of training initiatives, on average. The second priority for workforce development is to promote creative thinking, which will be the subject of 8% of upskilling initiatives. Training workers to utilize AI and big data ranks third among company skills-training priorities in the next five years and will be prioritized by 42% of surveyed companies. Employers also plan to focus on developing worker’s skills in leadership and social influence (40% of companies); resilience, flexibility and agility (32%); and curiosity and lifelong learning (30%). Two-thirds of companies expect to see a return on investment on skills training within a year of the investment, whether in the form of enhanced cross-role mobility, increased worker satisfaction or enhanced worker productivity.

Knowing this, we must develop new ways to motivate and teach this generation. Schools must be reinvented to be accountable for what matters most. Our students need rich educational opportunities that will equip them to be life-long learners, productive workers, and active citizens. No matter the grade level or subject area, real-world relevance in learning is critical. The experience of thousands of teachers across the world, backed by research, confirms that Project Based Learning (PBL) helps students learn! The content is rigorous, and the nature of the projects help students develop those skills that they will need to be prepared for the world beyond high school.

Republic Middle School