Are We Preparing Young People for the Future Workforce?
The world of work is changing faster than education has ever experienced before.
Artificial intelligence is reshaping industries, entirely new careers are emerging and the skills employers are looking for continue to evolve. Yet despite this rapid change, one question remains.
Are we truly preparing young people for the future workforce, or simply for the jobs of yesterday?
It's a question that sits at the heart of the BRILLIANT agenda this November, where educators, industry leaders and innovators will come together to explore what young people really need to succeed beyond the classroom.
The future isn't just about qualifications
Academic achievement will always matter, but employers are increasingly looking for far more than exam results.
STEAM skills allow people to thrive when technology changes, industries evolve and careers take unexpected turns.
Preparing young people for the future workforce means creating opportunities to develop these skills alongside traditional learning. Giving students experiences that help them understand the world beyond school, connect with employers and discover careers they may never have considered.
Schools can't do it alone
One of the strongest themes we've heard from previous BRILLIANT speakers is that preparing young people for work is a shared responsibility.
Becky Patel, Head of Education at Tech She Can, has spoken about the importance of bringing education, charities, industry and technology organisations together to create opportunities for young people.
As BRILLIANT's charity partner, Tech She Can has previously used the festival to build relationships with schools across the north, develop new partnerships and introduce educators to organisations that can support pupils long after the event has finished.
As Becky explained when reflecting on previous BRILLIANT festivals, the conversations are driven by collaboration.
At BRILLIANT, educators share challenges, organisations share expertise and partnerships are formed that ultimately benefit the young people sitting in today's classrooms.
That's exactly the kind of collaboration needed if we're serious about preparing students for tomorrow's careers.
Preparing for careers young people don't even know exist
James Fraser-Murison, one of BRILLIANT's ambassadors, has long championed the importance of exposing students to the breadth of opportunities available to them.
Many young people can only aspire to careers they've actually heard about.
Without meaningful employer engagement, industry experiences and role models, entire sectors remain invisible to many students.
Whether it's advanced manufacturing, AI, engineering, digital technology, sustainability or creative industries, young people deserve to understand the incredible opportunities available to them before making decisions that shape their futures.
The earlier these connections are made, the greater the opportunity to inspire ambition and confidence.
Technology is changing every career
AI isn't creating a future where people become less important.
It's creating a future where uniquely human skills become even more valuable.
Young people will need to learn how to work alongside technology, think critically, ask better questions and understand how to use AI responsibly and effectively.
This isn't about replacing teachers with technology.
It's about ensuring every learner leaves education equipped to thrive in a workplace where AI will almost certainly play a role.
The workforce our students enter in five or ten years' time will look very different from today's. Education needs to evolve alongside it.
Creating meaningful connections
One of the things that makes BRILLIANT different is that it brings together everyone involved in shaping the future of education.
These conversations matter because no single organisation has all the answers. By learning from one another and building lasting partnerships, we can create richer experiences for students and ensure education reflects the realities of the modern workplace.
Join the conversation at BRILLIANT
The session Are We Preparing Young People for the Future Workforce? will explore what schools, industry and education partners can do together to better prepare the next generation.
Expect practical ideas, honest discussion and real examples of how collaboration between education and employers is already making a difference.
Chairing this session will be Professor Andy Miah, Chair of Science Communication & Future Media, University of Salford and he will be joined by:
Professor Lynne Bianchi, Vice Dean for Social Responsibility, Equality, Diversity, Inclusion & Accessibility and Director of Science & Engineering Education Research and Innovation Hub, The University of Manchester
Damien Reynolds BEM, Foundation Leader, Mindera UK Foundation
Alex Zarifeh, Founder & Director, Futures Readiness Ltd
Preparing young people for the future isn't about predicting exactly what the world will look like, it's about giving every learner the confidence, skills and opportunities to succeed, whatever that future becomes.