In this exclusive panel, we discuss the critical importance of early engagement with STEM education and explore the optimal strategies for maintaining students’ sustained interest and enthusiasm in learning.
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NewsTranscript
00:00Good afternoon everyone. Good to see you here because it is the first of today's sessions for Day 2 of the Golf News Edge event.
00:07My name's Kitch. Great to see you here. We're going to have another informative session today.
00:12Yesterday was great. We had some wonderful speakers.
00:15We had some fantastic conversation and innovation and today will be a continuation of that I'm sure.
00:22Coming up this afternoon, the next session is at 3.30.
00:26We'll be discussing getting career ready in high school.
00:30But today we are joined by two more leaders of the educational field here at the UAE as we discuss,
00:37over the next little while, the topic of STEM, science, technology, engineering and maths
00:42and why it's important to foster a love of these subjects in young learners.
00:47We all know that children are naturally curious so they love to experiment with materials,
00:51play with numbers, work on puzzles and explore their environment.
00:55However, quite often as they go on for years in school, they lose interest in subjects that involve numbers
01:00or demand their critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
01:03Traditional teaching methods and learning concepts by repetition are some of the key reasons
01:08why children sometimes lose grip in science and maths and therefore are losing out
01:13on our close to be lucrative career options when they leave school in science and technology.
01:19So in this panel this afternoon, we're looking to discuss the critical importance of early engagement
01:24with STEM education and explore the optimal strategies for maintaining students'
01:30sustained interest and enthusiasm in learning.
01:33On the panel today, we do have Rajiv Noah, the founder and CEO of Trusty Innovations Learning.
01:38Thank you so much.
01:39And Sarah Hollis, the Principal of the American School of Creative Science.
01:44Can we give them an all round of applause for their time this afternoon?
01:47Rajani, to you first.
01:51Simple question.
01:52Why do you think it's important to introduce STEM concepts to children and students at a young age?
01:59Well, to start off, if we have the ability to introduce them.
02:05We'll try this one.
02:09It's imperative to introduce them at a very young age because they develop a familiarity
02:23towards that particular concept and they gain that confidence in order to be able to understand
02:29it in a better way as they progress in their lives and come across it in their academic
02:33or their career opportunities as they move ahead.
02:37And two, it kind of provides a very strong foundation because they look at solving problems
02:45in an innovative fashion.
02:47They look at problems in a way that, okay, I'm thinking out of the box.
02:50How do I develop solutions to these problems?
02:52And that sets a great foundation for developing crucial skills like critical thinking, problem
02:57solving, creativity.
02:59And that, in turn, as they progress, enables them to become more future-ready.
03:05Because one of the statistics in the world currently is 65% of children entering into
03:11primary school today will end up in jobs that do not yet exist.
03:17So what are we preparing our children for?
03:20Therefore, it's imperative that technology and innovation be embedded right from the
03:25preschool age so that they develop skills that are required for the future job market
03:30and they're better prepared for an evolving purpose.
03:34Would you agree?
03:35Would you agree with that, Sam?
03:36Absolutely.
03:37And as you said, they're entering the career field.
03:39But I was reading a book, A More Beautiful Question, that showed that when students enter
03:43education and after nursery, they stop asking questions.
03:47And we want the foundation and the learning blocks to be in K-G-E-Y-F-S, that we take
03:53advantage of their inquisitive nature.
03:56They are naturally inquisitive.
03:58They're not afraid to make mistakes.
03:59And this is where we can hone in and develop that growth mindset that they will need as
04:04they enter into grade one and above.
04:06And this is where we really work on fostering that engineering cycle that we teach in grade
04:10one and above with the NGSS curriculum, where we're looking at having that embedded, that
04:16they know how to test problems, go back to their design, rethink things.
04:21And we embed that.
04:22Now, they carry it forward with them, and they understand that it's okay to question
04:27and wonder and continue and make mistakes.
04:30So aside from actually the traditional lessons of STEM, you said that's one of the most important
04:35factors about STEM education early on, is because you're teaching kids that inquisitive
04:40nature.
04:41What are you going to label it?
04:43Design thinking, problem solving thinking?
04:45In fact, design thinking, when you say that, that's back on because according to Stanford,
04:52that's the core, that's the major central component of STEM education, because it enables
04:59students to identify problems, ideate, and come up with new ideas to solve that problem,
05:05design a prototype in order to solve it.
05:08And the best part of it is they look at it critically and also look at ways of improving
05:13this through testing, prototyping.
05:16And then they come back and implement these to evidence and feedback.
05:20And then they try to improve on what they're working on.
05:23So then it's an iterative process.
05:25And the best part of it is the ability to face failure.
05:30What do we teach our children?
05:32Success, success, success, all along the way.
05:35But what if I fail?
05:37Is that okay?
05:38So in the design thinking process, failure is a component where they look at it as a
05:43scope for learning rather than as a process, oh my God, I failed on this.
05:48And when they fail, they learn from that and they go back to it and see how effectively
05:53can I redo this so that it becomes a better solution.
05:56Yes, Sarah, so when you look at some of the, adding to some of those points, when you look
06:01at the STEM education, what are some of the latest innovations that you're looking at,
06:06particularly at the American School of Creative Science, some of the latest innovations in
06:10STEM education?
06:11In terms of our curriculum, we're looking at designing our curriculum that has relevance
06:16and purpose.
06:17It all goes back to the curriculum design, ensuring that the activities that we're embedding
06:22have a lens to agency, that they're leading their own learning.
06:26And we really look at using the online tools that we have relevant in the classrooms to
06:32allow them to demonstrate those key skills like collaboration that they will need in
06:36the future in their jobs.
06:38And STEM naturally leads to collaboration.
06:41So we look at our native Apple apps that we have, such as Numbers, Freeforms, and different
06:48tools that they can use to collaborate with their peers online.
06:51And I think that's more especially important, not just in the younger ages, but also in
06:55the older ages, where they might need to work on a project for extended periods of time
07:00outside of schools, ensuring that they know how to use apps such as ClickUp and things
07:06like that to help them project manage together their tasks.
07:09Okay, now help me out.
07:11What is ClickUp?
07:12How does ClickUp work in the classroom?
07:14Well, ClickUp is like a project management tool, and you can assign tasks to different
07:19members of your teams.
07:20You can upload files, share, edit, and it enables them to work effectively together
07:25as you would in an adult world online together in the classroom.
07:31So when we're looking at traditional teaching methods in terms of the teacher almost being
07:37like a lecturer, and the students taking out the notes, and then you come at the end of
07:41the subject, and you've got to rehash the information for an exam, I can see you're
07:44shaking your head.
07:45But you know where I'm going with this question.
07:47What are some of those innovations specifically in the teaching methods?
07:51Is it apps?
07:52Is it hands-on technology?
07:54I mean, we know from ministries that will say mazes and coding at an early age.
07:59What are the early examples to the problem?
08:01Yes, Sarah?
08:02In teaching, we have coding where they will code robotics to get through a maze, and they
08:08learn to collaborate and work out why it didn't work well.
08:12They can start from a very early age.
08:14We look at designing interdisciplinary projects, such as at the end of a unit, they might have
08:21been learning about the neighborhoods in English, and they will come together, and
08:24they will design their future neighborhood, and solving problems of what everybody feels
08:30that they need in a neighborhood to make it effective.
08:32So really early on, we have coding, we have robotics, we have Python, we have all of these,
08:39and it stems from KG all the way above.
08:43Yes, continue.
08:44Just to add to that, what kind of worked for us at UCEDD particularly is an interdisciplinary
08:51approach, wherein we're not talking about STEM as a standalone.
08:56So you incorporate the concept of STEM in different subjects, be it language arts, be
09:01it history, be it social studies.
09:03Okay, now how is it incorporated into history?
09:06Okay, so you're learning about age-old civilization, you're learning about Egyptian culture.
09:12How are these people?
09:15What are the engineering techniques that they have used?
09:18Building on that, giving them an opportunity to brainstorm on it, coming up with their
09:22own ideas.
09:23Okay, what are the possibilities?
09:25And given a choice today, how are you going to improvise it?
09:28How are you going to do it better?
09:30So you can include STEM into disciplines in different ways, and enabling students to
09:35form a connection amongst all of these put together is what will help them in the future.
09:42I think in terms of connections, it's also seeing connections and relevance to what they're
09:47going to enter the future.
09:48Some students don't like math, don't like science, but they don't see why what I'm learning
09:53now is going to help me in the future.
09:56And I think partnership, you have to look at your career education program that you
09:59have in the school.
10:01Are you focusing on STEM careers?
10:03Do you have STEM role models that come in and working in partnership with other companies
10:07such as like in jazz and different companies, where you say, send your professionals in
10:13so that they can hear from someone first-hand how what they're learning now is going to
10:18help them in the future.
10:20So that was leading on to my next question, real world relevance.
10:23You know, we talk about this of science, technology, English and math.
10:27Is that one of the most important factors of that STEM education?
10:31It's not just the basics, it's how it works in the real world?
10:35Absolutely.
10:36Because it's imperative to ensure that students understand the real world relevance of what
10:42they're learning, why they're learning what they're learning, because that makes it more
10:46engaging and meaningful.
10:48And if that is connected to an interest or a call that they're very passionate about.
10:53For example, if you see, we have students who are very passionate about climate change,
10:57you know, to eradicate it and to support the environment, sustainability initiatives.
11:01And when they work on something that they are passionate and interested in, they come
11:05up with ideas, they involve technology to make it into a viable solution.
11:11And the moment it is directly impacting the real world and it is offering a solution
11:16for the real world challenge, they get more driven.
11:19Right?
11:20So that relevance is significant to ensure that they develop an interest in that piece.
11:26Yes?
11:27I'm conscious that maybe we need to work hands-on, hands-to-soul in the school.
11:32Today, for example, we have an eco committee and they wanted to make greener spaces in
11:37the school.
11:38How can we achieve that as a team?
11:40And we're talking about elementary students designing hydroponic systems to put in a sun
11:45room that they've identified as we would like to make this better.
11:49It's coming together with kids across different grades levels, working together on a project
11:54to improve their school community.
11:56So it's both within the classroom and also the enrichment opportunities that you offer
12:01outside of the classroom for leadership to make a difference in the school community.
12:05So am I correct in saying that, you know, perhaps a child in the previous generation
12:10with the exception of creative and expressive and may have moved towards English or the
12:15arts where they recreated it, is now finding their creativity is able to be utilised in
12:22traditionally quite black and white subjects of engineering and maths?
12:26So do you see these innovations?
12:28I do think that it's now they see that they do see that they can be creative in a black
12:33and white subject, as you said, and that they can find...
12:37And also when we look at their future jobs, some people now are studying maybe two different
12:41degrees because they see that they can't get to where they want to in the market with that
12:45one degree.
12:47So when we say interdisciplinary skills is very important, they learn that in school
12:52now, it's not standalone, they're not divorced from one another, it's coming together to
12:56work on a project.
12:58But then you have to foster time for teachers to collaborate and to decide what is that
13:04project going to look like?
13:06What is that experience going to look like for grade six this year?
13:09How can we come together and work together to enable that?
13:13So how hard has it been at both of your schools to keep teachers empowered in the latest technology,
13:19in the latest trends that's coming through in terms of this, you know, this form of teaching
13:24curriculum?
13:25Well, with respect to teachers, obviously it's investment in to continue that professional
13:29development.
13:31When you look at webinars, you look at seminars, you look at workshops, where teachers have
13:35an opportunity to learn hands-on in terms of what these elements are, complements are,
13:40and how they can translate that into the curriculum design, lesson plans, activities that they
13:47offer to students.
13:48That's one way.
13:49And two, what really also helps is by ensuring that they have the right tools and resources.
13:56Now, you're talking about whether it's STEM tools or online resources or teaching aids.
14:02It's important that we upskill them and also give them the resources to support their own
14:07work.
14:08And mentoring really works because, like she was mentioning, if we can have STEM specialists
14:15to support them and mentor them and guide them to face the challenges of learning and
14:19to guide them through the challenges in the classroom, I think that would be great.
14:24And I think also just like with students, we give them the time to create and innovate.
14:30Giving teachers planning time and time to create and innovate and form professional
14:35learning communities where they come together and they share their best practices with each
14:39other, they model and say, this is the activity I did, how can it be improved, how can it
14:45be made better?
14:46It encourages others then to take risks in their teaching.
14:49It's always hard to try something new even as a teacher.
14:53And to take that risk, try something new in the classroom with coaches on hand to support
14:58them and model that.
15:00It's really important to give them that time.
15:02It sounds like a 360-degree approach when you're teaching the children to be able to
15:06experiment.
15:07You also want to teach the teachers to have the confidence to experiment.
15:10Do you have any examples of some of those teaching innovations or those creative teaching
15:16methods that have been successful?
15:18Okay, so right now we're developing a few of our teachers to become Apple Learning Specialists
15:24and to use the green screens in the classroom.
15:28So even now I have students as young as grade one using Keynotes to make their learning
15:34presentations and animations of showing me how they understand vocabulary words and their
15:41meanings.
15:42So that allows a teacher to try and say, look, a grade one student can create a Keynote presentation
15:48or a video presentation using the green screen for Literacy Week that's coming up next week.
15:54It's wonderful to see, but again, it's giving the teachers that time to work on maybe one
16:00or two apps that they would like to embed in their learning and say, we want you to
16:04not just use the app, but prove that the students are using that app to create and demonstrate
16:10their understanding.
16:11It sounds like I need to take some grade one students to my next sales pitch.
16:15And work out how to do the Keynotes presentations properly.
16:22Any experience specifically with you where some experimentation has made innovations
16:27prove to be very effective?
16:28Yes, in terms of, so we have a flagship program for entrepreneurs where students age about
16:3430.
16:36They go through an innovation phase where they have a design thinking process embedded
16:41into it.
16:42They identify problems.
16:44They empathize with it.
16:45They ideate with it.
16:46And then they use tools like Canva.
16:48They use tools which are enabling them to come up with a revenue structure in a way,
16:54enabling them to commercialize on that idea.
16:56So it's a continuous process of providing those tools for them so that they understand,
17:02they are able to demonstrate an understanding of not just the concepts, but also how do
17:07they apply that.
17:08And yeah, come up with really brilliant presentations.
17:11Yeah, I'm amazed every time an intern comes in at a university to where I work in running
17:15presentations.
17:16The 360 degree knowledge of audio apps, video apps, Canva presentations.
17:19They're at it, they're completing them.
17:21Come up with brilliant presentations.
17:23Yeah, it's not just about the technical elements of it, but the creativity that they
17:29use in showcasing a problem, a combination of videos and elements and different voice
17:35notes and things like that.
17:37Anyone got any questions?
17:39I know we've got a small room here this afternoon.
17:41Anyone have any questions for our panelists?
17:44I want to know what the feedback is like from parents with some of these innovations.
17:48Are they finding it rewarding of being able to see their child's innovation being more
17:52creative, Sarah?
17:53I mean, with parents, I mean, definitely their patience with the coding, the robotics and
17:58things like that.
17:59I think as educators, we also struggle with the double edged sword of the use of technology
18:04ensuring media balance and digital balance in their lives.
18:08So we spend a lot of time teaching responsible use of technology.
18:12We really focus on digital citizenship.
18:14We teach that from K to 12.
18:17And really teaching our students to make responsible choices in their use of technology as well
18:24and asking, what am I using this technology for?
18:27If it's purposeful, meaningful, great.
18:30If you're wasting time, that is also something that's going to come back to you later.
18:35So I think parents are appreciative, but they also appreciate more hands on learning, collaborative
18:41strategies, project based learning, where they see the use of technology is relevant
18:47and meaningful.
18:49One of the common questions that parents ask is, particularly for students in high schools,
18:55where is this taking them?
18:57What are the career opportunities that they're going to have?
19:00Okay, you're focusing a lot on technology, but how is it going to benefit them?
19:04Because are we still stuck with doctors, engineers and teachers?
19:08Are we going to be doing mainstream jobs that are going to be available in the market?
19:14Trying to make them understand that it's going to be different.
19:18It's going to change.
19:20And then speaking to them about what is probably going to exist in the future in terms of jobs
19:26and making them see that perspective.
19:28I think that's something that they need to work on.
19:31Sarah, you mentioned about screen time and how you teach digital citizenship.
19:36I'm just personally interested.
19:38Are you seeing a dramatic difference between those students in Kindergarten and Year 1
19:42compared to those in Year 12?
19:44Is there more or less self-discipline or more of an understanding?
19:48Are you able to see a difference here?
19:50They do have self-understanding and discipline.
19:53And when we feel that we need to make it even more apparent to them early on in the year,
19:57we have our check-in device box.
19:59So it's time.
20:01We don't need the device right now for our learning.
20:03Right, so making that connection.
20:05We need it for our learning now.
20:06We don't need it for our learning now.
20:08And when they hear that simple phrasing,
20:11they understand that this is a tool for learning.
20:14And we try to keep the emphasis on this is a tool for learning.
20:18And is it having an impact in their own forms of communication
20:22or is that always this delicate balance that you can't so easily form?
20:26It is the delicate balance that you may describe
20:28because even when you are learning, even when you are online,
20:31there is digital, there is collaboration, there is communication,
20:33all of that that we want to build into it.
20:35But at the end of the day, does it necessarily have to be always online?
20:39Not necessarily, right?
20:41So you need to engage in all of that.
20:43It's a combination, of course.
20:44When I try to message some of the interns,
20:46we have like both or four times that I might answer,
20:48but I would send them a Snapchat message.
20:50They get back to me straight away.
20:51So always learning about different forms of communication.
20:55We know how rapidly changing STEM is in terms of its education.
21:00If we could look into that crystal ball five or ten years down the track,
21:04what do you think are going to be some of the big changes
21:07that are considered the norm when it comes to teaching?
21:10I think the changes that we might see in the future
21:14is hoping to see in the future.
21:16It's important to do a disciplinary focus on subjects
21:19as combined approaches, future changes to the curriculum.
21:24So maybe we would see less standalone modular subjects
21:28and a more thematic approach to learning,
21:31even within the elementary years.
21:33Do you think that will develop more into high school?
21:35Or do you think high school will still be very much a subject-by-subject education?
21:39I think we might see a change,
21:41a short-term change in the electives that students are taking.
21:45And I think that they will try to be more eclectic
21:48in the electives that will enable them to enter different fields.
21:51So maybe they're planning on medicine,
21:53but you might see them take,
21:55even though they're taking the sciences for that,
21:57they might take those IT courses and electives
22:01to enable them to be at the forefront in skills that are needed.
22:06Rajani, any predictions, do you think,
22:08of the way STEM education could be in the future?
22:11Predictions?
22:13I'm hoping that it would be a change
22:15in terms of more hands-on learning coming into the future.
22:19So as they grow or move up the grades,
22:24it becomes more of a concept, a theoretical.
22:28But if we can move into a more hands-on approach,
22:30an experiential learning approach,
22:32I think that will benefit them in understanding
22:34and resonating well with the concept better.
22:37You mentioned before how the students that are starting school,
22:40they're going to be doing jobs 60% of the time
22:43that haven't even been created to this.
22:45Even today, what do you think these new innovations
22:48that STEM is teaching our students,
22:50which jobs and which industries do you think
22:53they're most suited to in their next school year?
22:56Well, there are quite a lot of them
22:58that are in the upcoming stages
23:00and a lot of opportunities that are being created
23:02because of innovation in STEM.
23:03To quote a few, you have obviously the best teachers in STEM,
23:07artificial intelligence and machine learning
23:10because of the fact that it's revolutionising industries
23:13in manufacturing, tourism, entertainment, you name it.
23:16You have cyber security, that speaks a lot about
23:19the simple fact that there is increasing prevalence
23:22in terms of cyber threats and data breaches.
23:25So a lot of demand is being created
23:28for cyber security professionals
23:30in order to make sure that they can secure data
23:33and digital assets, right?
23:35You have robotics and automation coming in
23:37because everyone's looking at how do you improve efficiency,
23:40how do you improve productivity,
23:42how do you automate processes in order to drive revenue, right?
23:45So robotics and automation.
23:48Data analysis, right?
23:49Data analysis is, again, a huge field
23:51wherein you have, with the proliferation of data,
23:55it's coming up in the industry,
23:57you need data analysts in order to combine data,
24:00derive data insights,
24:02so that you can make informed decisions
24:04that drive good physical organisations, right?
24:08Augmented reality and virtual reality
24:10is something that's playing a lot in the edX space,
24:12in the education space that we're from.
24:15And that's mainly focused on how you use that technology
24:19to create better immersive learning experiences,
24:23you know, design thinking, user experiences,
24:25user experience design,
24:27because you need to create virtual environments,
24:29you need to create interactive learning environments,
24:32you know, all of that.
24:33So I think going ahead or even now,
24:35starting now, these are the most,
24:38mostly the kind of jobs that will be there.
24:40I think you almost covered the bulwark, Janne,
24:41but Sarah, any more you could possibly add to that?
24:44I think the only one I can think of
24:46is space exploration, aerospace as well.
24:50But I'm not sure that was a very comprehensive thing.
24:53But cyber security, definitely,
24:55with the reliance on technology,
24:57cyber security is going to move to the front.
24:59And I think one that is, again,
25:01more focused on interdisciplinary skills
25:04is that research element.
25:06So researchers as well,
25:08and seeing research as a core skill of the future.
25:11When we look at teaching,
25:12we spoke a little bit about this yesterday,
25:14the way technology is being used
25:16to help students in the classroom,
25:17because all students learn in different ways
25:20and at different speeds.
25:22What are some of the innovations,
25:23specifically where STEM, in STEM,
25:26that's being able to help students
25:28of all different styles and speeds of learning
25:32help cohesively work together?
25:34See, in virtuality,
25:35you have all your visual and aesthetic elements, right?
25:38So in virtuality,
25:40most of the educational organizations,
25:42major organizations, what they do
25:44is to understand what is the style of learning
25:47of the child, right?
25:49And then map out to the knowledge and skill
25:52where the child stands at the moment.
25:54So let's say, for example, you take coding, right?
25:56Everyone says, okay, I'm learning coding
25:58when my child comes to learn coding.
26:00So what is the first type of thing that you do
26:02in order to understand where did this come from?
26:04Is it Scratch, is it Python, is it HTML?
26:06Where did this come from?
26:07And at what level, right?
26:09And then mapping out the learning journey
26:11from there in a progressive manner
26:13so that they go through different levels,
26:15achieve different challenges,
26:17and then move ahead.
26:18I think that's the way to do it,
26:19rather than a one-size-fits-all approach.
26:22Sarah, how are you doing
26:23at the American School of Graduate Sciences?
26:25What are some of the ways in which
26:27the innovations in STEM are helping
26:29cohesively teach students
26:31of all different learning styles?
26:33I think, really, for me,
26:35the key is that it gets them to show
26:37their creativity in different ways.
26:39How would you like to demonstrate
26:41your understanding as a student?
26:43Understanding that one child might prefer
26:45the traditional research paper submission,
26:48and that's fine for you.
26:49Another one would prefer the speaking presentation.
26:52Another one would prefer to present a video
26:54on their understanding.
26:56One would like to design a webpage
26:58with all of the information on the topic for you.
27:01So it opens up, I think, more platforms
27:04for them to demonstrate,
27:05I have understood,
27:06rather than the traditional platforms from before.
27:09I think that's great.
27:10That is so inspiring,
27:11that you've been able to say,
27:13kids, it's not a physical exam.
27:15Show us your learning
27:16to make it a more realistic method.
27:18But then how hard is that on the teachers
27:20to try and mark evenly
27:21if everyone's coming through
27:22with a different creative process
27:24at the end of the subject?
27:25It must be hard on teachers.
27:27Yeah, it would be definitely hard on teachers.
27:29I think giving them a breadth of choices
27:32that they could use,
27:33so you have different rubrics for it.
27:35If you choose this platform,
27:37this is how you're going to be assessed.
27:39But showing that rigor of the content knowledge
27:42that you're able to demonstrate
27:44is captured in any platform.
27:47Any final questions before I wrap it up?
27:50It's been a very interesting panel, for anyone?
27:52None, but I think so.
27:54Well, thank you to the two of you.
27:55Thank you very much.
27:56Oh, no, hang on.
27:57Yes.
27:58Why not?
27:59We almost had the soul side.
28:01We'll take one.
28:07I appreciate it
28:08because of all the valuable information I have received
28:10from the panel.
28:12So my question is what did you achieve?
28:15Just speak, I'm sorry.
28:17Fantastic job.
28:20Keeping my future ready.
28:24Now, traditionally, if you see,
28:26like I'm back from India, right?
28:28So I knew, in earlier days,
28:31I hope everyone agrees with me,
28:34there was a time when 12,
28:37which is HSC, was good enough
28:39to get a job in the market.
28:41Post which, the competition increased
28:45during graduation.
28:47Then post which, again,
28:49the competition increased post-graduation.
28:52Again, post-graduation,
28:54again, the competition increased
28:57even to specialization
28:59or a specific field.
29:02Now, keeping in mind the current situation right now,
29:06the job that institutions are doing,
29:09bridging the gap of the technology,
29:12keeping the child future ready,
29:15how closely we are connected with the corporates
29:19for the child when he has his 10th, 12th,
29:22he will be ready to go out in the market.
29:25Like how back in the day,
29:27when 12th was good enough
29:29to get a job in the market.
29:31Similarly, if we are doing a fantastic job right now,
29:34with the students,
29:35how closely the institute is connected with the corporates
29:39so that they can absorb the great mind
29:43into the, what do you say,
29:45into the field,
29:46and they start their career at an early age
29:48rather than starting their career at 25, 30,
29:50when they have lost half of their lives.
29:53I think for future employers as well,
29:56that they're not looking at
29:58does somebody know everything,
30:00and are they ready.
30:01What we're looking for is
30:02do they have the key skills that I want to employ in the future.
30:05And I think for us to focus on a skill set,
30:08an acquisition of skill set
30:10is going to be the most important aspect.
30:12Careers education,
30:14we're having students lead that for us now
30:16rather than bringing people to speak to them
30:18about careers in grade 10.
30:20We're having the students
30:21produce their own career fair.
30:23So they're very aware of different careers that are needed.
30:26But I think also that lends to
30:28universities changing in the future as to
30:30I think what a child needs to graduate with
30:32is not just their traditional transcript,
30:34but their skills transcript.
30:36What kind of skills do you have
30:39that an employer is looking for?
30:41And that skill can be obtained in any course,
30:44but you're leaving the university or high school
30:46with key skills that can be
30:50allowing you to be successful in any field in the future.
30:55To add to it, it's a fantastic question, firstly,
30:58because skill gap is something that is
31:00permanent and it's existing in the market.
31:02And that is a huge problem
31:04that the world is looking at right now.
31:06Because by 2030, 85 million jobs
31:08are going to be displaced.
31:10And that is something that
31:12a lot of education organizations are working towards.
31:14Now how do we bridge that gap?
31:16Whether you're in 10,
31:18whether you're in 12, or in university.
31:21Why is your foundation being set
31:23by the educational institutions?
31:26What kind of skills do you possess?
31:28What are your interests?
31:30Innately, what are your interests?
31:32Are you interested in marketing?
31:33Are you interested in medicine, law?
31:34What are your key interests and what are your skills?
31:36Mapping these two, correlating these two,
31:39and then forming career progression pathways
31:42and giving them opportunities to work
31:45in those industries and those companies.
31:47And to be precise, for example,
31:49we offer, for 15 years and above,
31:51which is grade 10,
31:53we offer job shadowing and internship opportunities
31:55aligned with skills that they have,
31:58aligned with interests that they have.
32:00So when they go in and they actually see
32:03the real world work environment,
32:05okay, a hospital, this is how it looks like.
32:08A marketing industry, this is how it looks like.
32:10They learn from the industry experts.
32:13They see how a workplace actually is
32:16then it gives them an idea, an experience
32:20to make informed decisions on how to proceed with that.
32:23And also to make choices that, okay,
32:26I thought I'm interested in medicine and in law,
32:29but maybe I'm not into any medicine.
32:31I'll talk about law.
32:32But how are they able to make that decision?
32:34Only if you give them that opportunity
32:36to go in and experience it themselves.
32:39I think that's what most of the organizations
32:41are working on at the moment,
32:43to enable and empower students
32:45to have that career with opportunities in the market
32:48so that they can explore and learn.
32:50I definitely think that students in high school now,
32:54now that they can volunteer and work part-time jobs
32:57and the law has changed to allow that,
33:00I really am looking to see that my students
33:03take time in their summer to work
33:05and take that time in careers
33:08because students that graduate with work experience
33:11are more valuable assets than students
33:14that have graduated with no work experience.
33:17And that's something that we really need to foster
33:20in high schools and in university.
33:22And that goes through with a lot more,
33:24when you spoke about these mentorships
33:26that are coming in students as well, isn't it?
33:28Exactly.
33:29And I think here we might see more work placements
33:33in university.
33:34For us, we do week without roles.
33:36We do internships, mentorships.
33:38Those are great in high school.
33:40But also here I would like to see,
33:42if you're business here,
33:44do you have a university program
33:47that's designed with one semester in,
33:49one semester out of university
33:51where you're guaranteed job placement and experience?
33:55Graduating from,
33:56and I think universities will compete more and more
33:58to offer those kinds of programs.
34:01Because I can speak, I work in media,
34:03I work in radio stations.
34:04The hardest thing about radio stations
34:06is just getting in the door.
34:07Because once you're in
34:08and you fit in within the culture
34:10and the attitude and the vibe,
34:11people are like,
34:12can we work with this person?
34:13It's the fundamental rule.
34:15Can we work with this person?
34:16Do they have the right sense of humor?
34:18The attitude creates a new job.
34:20Qualifications, universities, you can go.
34:22And that's more of all.
34:24That is how,
34:28actually as a company,
34:29we are not a school or a university.
34:32We form this relation between schools and universities
34:35and support students across the region,
34:37supporting them and enabling them
34:39to find that right fit
34:41through a proper skill mapping
34:43and through a proper work and job opportunity
34:46so that by the time they're 17, 18,
34:48they profile the skills
34:50in order to enter the best universities
34:52that they want to target
34:53or enter a workplace
34:54that they really want to get into.
34:57Any other questions from anyone
34:58before we finish things up?
34:59This has been a good one this afternoon.
35:01Well, my thanks to our speakers,
35:03Sarah Hollis, the Principal
35:04of the American School of Creative Science,
35:06and Rajani Nalla, the Founder and CEO
35:08of Trusting Innovations Learning.
35:09Thank you to the both of you.
35:10A warm round of applause for the two of you, please.
35:12Thank you very much for coming.
35:14My name's Kitch,
35:15we're back again at 3.30
35:16with another discussion
35:17talking about, further to this,
35:19how we can get our students career ready in high school.
35:22Thank you very much.