Education Now Pathways to Careers with Purpose A new Education Now considers the evolving job prospects for high school and college students amid the rise of artificial intelligence and other technological changes Posted February 21, 2024 By News editor Career and Lifelong Learning College Access and Success Education Reform Informal and Out-of-School Learning Learning Design and Instruction Student Achievement and Outcomes Technology and Media Recent research shows that many young adults are struggling to find purpose or meaning in their lives and work. This episode considers new ways to help high school and college students discern their vocations and pursue fulfilling careers in an age where job prospects are evolving, thanks to artificial intelligence and other technological changes, and where financial uncertainty affects the daily lives of many young people. Guests:Peter Blair, assistant professor of education and co-director of The Project on Workforce, HGSEClayton Spencer, president emerita, Bates CollegeMichelle Weise, author, Long Life Learning: Preparing for Jobs that Don't Even Exist Yet, leader of Rise and DesignHost:Francesca Purcell, senior lecturer on education, HGSE Key Takeaways To find purposeful work, start with figuring out who you are. Reflect on your interests, strengths, and values, and then begin the process of aligning those attributes with career options. Younger learners can benefit greatly from exposure to multiple job opportunities – this enables them to explore different career options early on and find out what they care about.In an uncertain and turbulent working world, we need to design an ongoing educational ecosystem to better serve the needs of everyone including mature learners.Employers can help create meaningful pathways of mobility for people with high school diplomas but no degrees. “STARs” are those who have been “skilled through alternative routes,” such as work experience, rather than a bachelor’s degree. Resources: Purpose in Work and Life - Vocations & Virtues, Center for Social Concerns, University of Notre Dame Vocations & Virtues: Higher Education for Human Flourishing Forging Pathways to Purposeful Work: The Role of Higher Education Skilling Me Softly - Substack Long Life Learning: Preparing for Jobs that Don't Even Exist Yet The Limits of Educational Attainment in Mitigating Occupational Segregation Between Black and White Workers - NBER Creating Better Pathways to Economic Mobility - The Project on Workforce Opportunity at Work Education Now A webinar and newsletter series to shape new approaches to challenges in education Explore All Articles Related Articles Education Now Sal Khan on Innovations in the Classroom How new innovations in remote learning can be harnessed to improve instruction in classrooms and make up for learning missed during the pandemic Education Now Experimenting With AI In The Classroom How teachers can find learning opportunities using AI-assisted technology Education Now Building Diverse College Communities How higher education has reacted to the end of affirmative action and the path forward for equity