Education – Adapting to the future

Every few years, the World Economic Forum (WEF) releases its Future of Jobs Report, offering a global glimpse into what lies ahead for our labour market. The 2025 edition paints a compelling – and at times confronting – picture of the forces reshaping the workforce. But what does that mean for Aotearoa New Zealand, and more specifically, on the Hibiscus Coast?

The big headline: by 2030, 22 per cent of current jobs worldwide will be either newly created or made redundant. That’s one in five roles changing entirely. While the net effect is a projected 78 million new jobs globally, that growth is accompanied by significant job losses and even greater disruption to the skills we need. For a community like ours, built on a mix of small business, trades, education, and care services, this global shift is anything but abstract.

One of the clearest messages from the report is that technology, especially Artificial Intelligence (AI), automation, and digital platforms, is not just changing how we work, but what we work on. Roles like data analysts, software developers, and renewable energy engineers are among the fastest-growing jobs. Meanwhile, clerical roles such as data entry and bank tellers are expected to decline rapidly.

On the Hibiscus Coast, we have an opportunity, if not an obligation, to help our young people develop the skills needed to thrive in this evolving environment. Analytical thinking, resilience, and digital literacy have been identified as the most sought-after capabilities by 2030. Interestingly, creative thinking and social influence, skills often nurtured in the arts and community initiatives, also feature prominently. That should give us confidence that a well-rounded education still matters.

Closer to home, there are some good signs. Our local schools, including Whangaparāoa College, are already placing increasing emphasis on digital fluency, sustainability, and resilience as part of their core curriculum. But we need to ask ourselves: are we moving fast enough?

New Zealand’s economy, particularly in areas like Auckland and Rodney, is already showing signs of strain from both global forces and local pressures, rising living costs, an aging workforce, and the need for climate-responsive skills among them. While high-tech roles are growing, the jobs most likely to grow in absolute numbers include farmworkers, care aides, construction workers, and delivery drivers. This tells us that not all “future jobs” are digital, but they will all require new capabilities, especially adaptability.

That adaptability must also extend to our employers. The WEF report found that 63 per cent of businesses see skill gaps as the biggest barrier to transformation. Encouragingly, 85 per cent plan to invest in upskilling their workforce. But upskilling can’t just be left to employers or schools, it’s a community effort.

Here on the Coast, that might look like partnerships between schools and local businesses, short-course opportunities through community hubs, and support for young people not in employment, education, or training. It also means encouraging parents and caregivers to take an active interest in the careers of tomorrow, not the ones of yesterday.

One final thought: despite all the AI, algorithms, and automation, one of the report’s key recommendations is distinctly human – invest in wellbeing. In fact, most global employers now view employee wellness as essential to attracting and retaining talent.

Perhaps that’s something the Hibiscus Coast can lead on. With our natural beauty, community spirit, and strong educational institutions, we are well-positioned to be a model of what a balanced, future-ready community looks like.

The world of work is changing fast. Let’s make sure we’re not just keeping up, but leading in our own way.