Flying drones, automated driving cars, chef robots. These are some examples of automation in today’s world.
According to the World Economic Forum, it is estimated that around 9% to 50% of jobs would be lost to automation. By 2020, a third of skillsets needed today would have to change.
In today’s environment of job insecurity, it’s a good time to be an entrepreneur. Someone who defines his own job scope and others under his employment.
And on this tough road, road, it would be smart to keep your cost low with affordable office space and these 3 soft skills that would definitely come in handy.
1. Adult Learning
We see learning as something we get over and done with once we graduate as our system is geared towards educating children rather than adults.
The World Economic Forum predicts that 35% of core skills will change by 2020 and new skills will be required to navigate these changes.
Adult learning can occur either with the company or on national level.
Companies and governments should collaborate with academic institutions to provide training courses. This requires a paradigm shift from ‘job security’ to ‘career security’, but the most important aspect is that entrepreneurs take the lead in creating an ownership of learning.
Mark Zuckerberg is one such individual.
Taking to Facebook to declare his personal challenge to learn, it is this willingness to take ownership of learning that preceded his success.
By end-2016, he had learned Artificial Intelligence (AI) programming and created Jarvis as his personal butler.
2. Education Innovation
Education innovation refers to leveraging on technology to make education more accessible.
A good example would be Coursera, a site that provides certified courses online. However, there is still a limitation when it comes to learning languages.
Language is best learnt face-to-face with an experienced speaker. When Zuckerberg wanted to learn Mandarin, he would meet Chris Pan weekly for 2 years, an employee who used to do marketing for Pepsi in China.
The end result was him being able to host a Q&A session in Mandarin with 20 top CEOs from China!
This is exactly what startup Tutoroo offers – a platform that connects language learners with native speakers nearby.
These native speakers include both newcomers and experienced teachers looking to earn $30 to $60 per hour.
3. Digital Fluency
The last component that any entrepreneur needs is digital fluency.
Technology is the common link changing the way that we work, live and play and being digitally fluent opens up a world of new opportunities for anyone.
The Forum advised that simply adding more STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) graduates wouldn’t necessarily increase digital fluency. There is a gap between STEM theories taught in school and its digital application.
Nonetheless, training in computational and logical thinking would be helpful in building digital fluency.
If Singapore Post had stuck to its previous bread and better model of physical delivery, it would have gone bankrupt a long time along. It took a daring and young CEO to re-orientate it.
New logistics startups like NinjaVan redefined last mile delivery with integrated APIs for real time delivery tracking and flexible delivery.
The usage of this API link to enhance delivery standards is digital fluency in practice, allowing both consumers and employees to benefit in convenience and career security.
Getting Started
New innovation in Fintech provides financial access to digitally fluent SMEs and individuals, and new wealth would be built on these foundations as we move from job security to career security.
Learning as an adult, education innovation and digital fluency are the keys to success in today’s digital world.
Singaporeans can leverage on the SkillsFuture program and sign up for classes with local institutions like SMU. Meanwhile, Alpha Camp and General Assembly offer courses partially funded by IMDA.
There are simply no lack of opportunities to get started.
This guest article was contributed by Ong Kai Kiat.
Featured Image Credit: govinsider
