Preparing Children for their Future
“What do you want to be when you grow up?” is the well-meaning conversation topic raised with many children from the time they are able to play dress-ups at preschool. With toothy grins and great confidence they tell you “a fireman”, “a doctor”, “an aeroplane pilot”. On the surface this is just a childish conversation, with no consequence or real meaning. Yet research has shown that children as young as six have already eliminated possibilities for their lives, while others have internalised unlimited potential. Our hope as parents, and as teachers, is that our children grow up with a deep belief that anything is possible.
The irony of the “what do you want to be” question is that within society today we are constantly creating and recreating what we want to be. While the post-war workforce commonly had just one occupation, sometimes even one job, during their working life, now people commonly transfer their skills and experience into different contexts, different industries and different occupations. The successful person today demonstrates strong employability or entrepreneurial skills, with a deep appreciation of what they can contribute. They understand how to negotiate the pitfalls of the world of work, and proactively direct their career to suit the life that they desire.
Just as we must now educate our children for a world in which using technology is a basic skill, so must we ensure that they develop the competencies that will enable them to make the successful transition from child to “producer and director” of their own lives. The first step in taking charge is the recognition that they do, in fact, have the power to influence the direction that their lives will take. This is a powerful concept. If we, as parents and school communities, work together to foster these competencies through school work and co-curricula activities, through responsibility and teamwork, through self-knowledge and community participation, we will be empowering our children and our students to be fulfilled and become the best that they can be.
Jenni Proctor
http://CareerClarity.com.au