Introductory overview: anticipating and preparing for emerging skills and Jobs—Issues, concerns, and prospects

Education provides the foundation for skills and lifelong learning opportunities to thrive in professional and social life. However, unlike in the past, the current generation of learners is facing unprecedented uncertainty in how they anticipate and prepare for emerging skills and jobs, due to the impact of automation and continuous technological disruptions. On the one hand, many countries are facing a “learning crisis” although they have achieved remarkable progress in improving access to education at all levels. On the other hand, skills mismatches are growing to a point where many graduates are unable to get jobs, while employers are often unable to fill vacancies due to the changing nature of skills and jobs. The current schooling systems, which was founded around 100–150 years ago to enhance the efficiency of the first and second industrial revolutions, is no longer adequate for people to thrive and prosper in the current world, which is increasingly driven by artificial intelligence, automation, and innovation.