Young people today are growing up in a world unlike that experienced by other generations that have come before. As the first generation to grow up in a world surrounded by touchscreen devices, social media and constant wifi connectivity, Generation Z (those born between 1995-2010) are often nicknamed the digital natives.
Whilst they may not think it, the research continues to show that this generation use technology differently, approach challenges differently and work differently to any other generation. As well as being a very tech-savvy generation, Gen Z also make up a considerable part of our population, currently making up over 20% of the Australian population. This means that whilst this generation are currently in high school, university, or in the early stages of their career, they will in a not-too-distant future make up a sizeable chunk of our workforce.
To unpack these trends and explore what exactly this means for our young people, Scott was invited to speak at the Queensland Secondary Principals' Association in 2021.
Delivering a keynote speech followed by a panel discussion and masterclass to principals from across the state, Scott shared his experience as a Gen Z that took an alternative approach to his career pathway after starting his business as a 14-year-old. In his presentation, he also touched on the insights he has gained from working with industry leaders and educators around the world as they work to bridge the gap between the classroom and the industry. Scott then finished by unpacking some of the exciting trends emerging in the education space as he touched on topics including micro-credentialing, project based learning, 21st-century skills, and learning through failure.
Scott had a brilliant time presenting to these principals and enjoyed having some extensive conversations with education leaders throughout the conference about how they were working to build schools of the future to best prepare their young people for the innovation economy.