August 11, marks National Son’s and Daughter’s Day. With companies going on a marketing overdrive on Mother’s Day and Father’s Day, there is quite a buzz on social media every year on these two days, but National Son’s and Daughter’s Day remains lesser-known. In this era of rapid growth and technological disruption, it is essential that our students be equipped to successfully run our economies and make positive transformations. Thus, parents play an important role in skilling them and encouraging them to re-skill for embracing changes in a technology-driven world.
The History
Incidentally, the first record of National Son’s and Daughter’s Day was found in a report dated August 20, 1944, in the St. Joseph News-Press/Gazette, based in Missouri. The report said that the day was first observed in 1936 by a man called J Henry Dusenberry. He was responding to a question from a child who asked him why there is no such day, which got him thinking. He spread a word among families known to him in Missouri, and families came together to observe the day since then.
How Families Celebrated the National Son’s and Daughter’s Day
By 1945, observation of the day began to catch up and it was being celebrated across at least 22 states in the US. It was a day to appreciate, think about, and spend time with children, in a way to build better families. Parents, on this day, are known to cook for children, spend time, play, and sing with them. If the children are away, parents are known to call them and talk to them, or buy flowers for them, and think about them.
The Present
With the changing pace and way of human lives, the bond between children and parents has also seen a change. Even though the relationship remains as sacred as it was earlier, now it is influenced largely by time constraints and technology. Parents often find themselves immersed in work and daily chores, while children remain busy with their study load and daily activities. Thus, observing one day to celebrate children is a way for parents to convey how thankful they are for their children and appreciation for their kids.
Parents play a key role in the achievements and outlook of a child. They are the ones who mold a child’s personality and how the child shapes into an individual. Besides, attending to the needs, comforts, and necessities of a child, parents ready their children’s future by arming them with knowledge, morals, and most importantly, formal education.
The Future
In today’s fast-paced and dynamic world with unending learning opportunities, the only way for individuals to catch the best opportunities is by starting early and starting young.
Parents are continuously on the journey to choose the best for their children and their future. Detailed below is why today is the best day to empower our girls and boys with digital education and helping create skilled manpower – for the betterment of the child’s future and our country’s economy.
Watch: Ralph Büchi, CEO of Ringier Axel Springer, speak about how and why students should cope with digital disruption
Making Sons and Daughters Future-Ready
In today’s world, there is no tool as important as education to gain knowledge and developing skill sets that are in demand. But, in this era of technology, education, like other things, is continuously evolving.
It is essential that children, especially girls, be encouraged to learn science and tech course, and, to regularly upskill to be relevant and in demand for the job market.
From impacting jobs across organized and unorganized sectors, COVID-19 has also created a dearth in skilled manpower across sectors.
If you are wondering how the Swiss catch their young ones early and train them for job opportunities, watch our video on their Vocational and Educational Training (VET) system.
Building Skilled Manpower During the Fourth Industrial Revolution
Data from across sectors and countries suggests a mismatch between skilled job opportunities and available talent. This translates to the needs that children, both girls, and boys, should be empowered with digital learning, new skills, and an open mindset that encourages them to upskill based on their interests and market demands.
Skill gaps across sectors are expected to grow in the Fourth Industrial Revolution. This is 0because the growth in Artificial Intelligence (AI), Blockchain, Robotics, Virtual Reality, Internet of Things (IoT), and genetic engineering are going to change the way human society lives and functions. In other words, they are going to blur the lines between physical and digital worlds.
Klaus Schwab, chairman of the World Economic Forum, has outlined in a 2016 article that technological innovation will, in the future, lead to a supply-side miracle, with long-term gains in efficiency and productivity. He wrote,
“Fourth Industrial Revolution has the potential to raise global income levels and improve the quality of life for populations around the world. To date, those who have gained the most from it have been consumers able to afford and access the digital world; technology has made possible new products and services that increase the efficiency and pleasure of our personal lives.”
The key takeaway from his understanding was that – in future, talent, more than capital, will be the most critical aspect of production. What this means is that the job market will be increasingly bifurcated into ‘low-skill/low-pay’ and ‘high-skill/high-pay’ divides, which could lead to social inequalities.
To tackle future disruptions with talent and skills, it is imperative that young children and students be exposed to digital learning at a young age. There are a plethora of online courses on technical and non-technical subjects available across the internet that can help beginners learn well and the experts upskill. SkillUp is one such platform for those looking to upskill to stay relevant in the areas of Digital Skills, Entrepreneurship, or Innovation.
Upskill with our courses on SkillUp
References:
The digital skills gap is widening fast. Here’s how to bridge it
What Is the Fourth Industrial Revolution?
The Fourth Industrial Revolution: what it means, how to respond
The Future of Jobs Report 2018
Almost 25 million jobs could be lost worldwide as a result of COVID-19, says ILO
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