Changes are upon us
We may live in what some consider as the most exciting time in human history; in times where wealth is generated by the way we manage and operate data. The exponential growth of data is giving us possibilities to analyze and predict, to redesign processes and businesses. Everything that can be automated will be automated. As a result, almost half of the jobs in some economies are at risk of automation, while for the rest a college degree will be needed.
At the same time, we have shifting demographics. Soon almost half of global workforce will be millennials and we already have 5 generations in the workforce, and an increase in life expectancy. This means that we need to start to plan and think for a 60 or 70 years career.
A new learning approach is needed
So in the midst of all these changes, there are a few things to consider. We used to have a learning approach with 3 stages – learn, work and retire. However, for modern times a new learning approach is necessary.
Today’s learning is a multi-stage life approach, where we have to learn to learn, un-learn and relearn, and accept that there will be several cycles through-out our life with work-learn-change, work-learn-change, work-learn-change…
Think about it – the occupations which are in biggest demand right now did not existed 10 years ago. The majority of kids currently entering primary school will end up doing jobs that do not exist today. Half of the subject knowledge acquired during a technical degree is outdated by the time of graduation. We have to prepare for urgent and targeted action to manage the near-term transition and build a work-force with future proof skills, otherwise we will be hit by unemployment and shrinking consumptions.
Leave our comfort zones
Disruption is happening. We’re forced to leave our comfort zone and embrace this process. The majority of global technology companies are already engaging in social projects for active adoption and mastering of IT skills at much earlier stage in life, with courses and programs in primary schools. Companies, institutions, universities need to implement organizational change, at the same rate as innovation is created. This means to build a new culture that can adopt, embrace and understand change – as the only guarantee of any success. We need to help universities and higher education institutions in how to be successful with digital transformation, not how to use just another digital tools, which will require the redesign of the needed universities of the future.
Cooperation in required
This is how we can create Exponential Educational environment. In order to multiply the possibilities for us and the next generations, we need to learn to cooperate, while competing. When the business leaves its building and merges with the universities, a new culture of innovation is created, where real business meets technology, research and young talents. This is how we could have sustainable exponential educational eco-systems of the future.
Rumyana Trencheva is Head of Global Channels and General Business at SAP Central and Eastern Europe, before that she successfully managed and doubled the SAP business in South-East Europe, where she was the Managing Director of the cluster of 10 countries: Bulgaria, Romania, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Kosovo, Albania, Macedonia, Croatia and Slovenia. Rumyana was also managing the business of SAP in Bulgaria for more than 5 years, where she had triple digit growth y-o-y and significantly increased SAP presence on the local market. Before joining the SAP, Rumyana Trencheva has held key managerial positions in multinational companies as INDRA Sistemas S.A., Hewlett Packard, Alcatel-Lucent and Ericsson Bulgaria. She has graduated American University in Bulgaria with specializations in Applied Economics and International Relations. She holds post-graduate specializations from Duke Corporate Education (USA) and IMD (Switzerland). Rumyana is actively involved with many educational initiatives, supporting also local young entrepreneurs and start-ups within the region and at her home country, as one of the major role for her now is being member of the Board of Trustees of her alma mater – American University of Bulgaria.