This morning, I received a call from one of my team members, a camera person at our studio. He said, “Sir, my son has been looking for a job for the last 6–8 months. He has completed B.Com, but he is still unable to find a good job.”
I asked him, “Has he learned anything else?”
He replied, “Sir, he has also done a computer course. He can make PPTs and knows a little Excel. Please help him find a good job.”
This conversation made me think about an important question: Are we preparing students for the future of work, or are we preparing them only for jobs that are changing rapidly?
With the growth of Artificial Intelligence (AI), automation, and digital technologies, the workplace is changing faster than ever. Students today need more than academic qualifications. They need practical skills, adaptability, creativity, communication, and the ability to continuously learn.
Artificial Intelligence should not be viewed only as a threat to employment. It can also be seen as a wake-up call for our education system and approach to career preparation.
Many repetitive and routine tasks are increasingly being supported or automated by AI tools. Activities such as basic data processing, document preparation, content assistance, customer support, and some coding tasks can now be performed more efficiently with technology.
This does not mean that every job will disappear. Instead, the nature of many jobs is changing.
Students who only learn how to perform repetitive tasks may find it increasingly difficult to compete in the job market. On the other hand, students who know how to use technology, solve problems, communicate effectively, think creatively, and apply their knowledge in real situations can be better prepared for changing career opportunities.
The traditional idea of education—complete a degree, find a job, and continue doing the same work for years—is becoming less relevant in a rapidly changing economy.
Employers increasingly value a combination of academic knowledge, digital skills, practical experience, and human abilities.
Some of the important future-ready skills include:
Critical thinking and problem-solving
Communication and presentation skills
Creativity and innovation
Digital literacy and AI awareness
Leadership and teamwork
Adaptability and resilience
Research and analytical skills
Entrepreneurship and initiative
Continuous learning
These skills can help students adapt when technologies, industries, and job roles change.
One of the biggest opportunities created by AI and digital learning is greater access to knowledge.
Students can now learn through online courses, educational platforms, simulations, practical projects, internships, workshops, and other learning resources. This can complement formal education and help students develop skills beyond textbooks and examinations.
A degree remains valuable for many professions, but a degree alone may not be enough to demonstrate job readiness.
Education should therefore encourage students to ask questions, explore ideas, solve real-world problems, participate in projects, and understand how their knowledge can be applied outside the classroom.
Students can start developing career-ready skills long before they enter the workforce.
For example, instead of learning Excel only as a software skill, students can use it to analyse real datasets. Instead of simply learning presentation software, they can create presentations based on research and business problems. Instead of memorising concepts, they can apply them through projects, competitions, internships, and entrepreneurship activities.
This approach helps transform learning into practical capability.
The example of my team member's son is a reminder that academic qualifications should be supported by continuous skill development. Completing B.Com or a computer course can provide a foundation, but students also need to understand how their skills can create value in the workplace.
Students should participate in projects, internships, competitions, workshops, and real-world activities. Practical exposure can help them understand how academic concepts are used in professional environments.
Creativity, communication, collaboration, leadership, critical thinking, and emotional understanding remain important because successful workplaces require people to work with other people as well as technology.
Instead of simply fearing AI, students should understand how AI tools can support research, analysis, communication, productivity, and problem-solving.
The goal should be AI literacy and responsible AI use, not dependence on technology.
Technology and job requirements will continue to change. Students should develop the habit of learning new tools and updating their skills throughout their careers.
Students should understand the connection between what they study and how those skills are used in real professions. Career awareness, industry exposure, internships, and practical projects can help bridge this gap.
AI is changing the way businesses operate, employees work, and students learn. The most important response is not to reject technology but to prepare people to use it intelligently and responsibly.
The future of work may not belong simply to those with the most degrees or the most technical knowledge. It will increasingly require people who can learn, adapt, think critically, communicate, create, and work effectively with technology.
AI may automate certain tasks, but human potential remains essential.
The real question is not whether AI will change jobs. It already is.
The more important question is:
Are we preparing the next generation with the skills, mindset, and practical experience they need for the future of work?
Ans) AI is expected to automate many repetitive and routine tasks, but that does not necessarily mean that all human jobs will disappear. Many roles will continue to require communication, creativity, leadership, critical thinking, relationship-building, and complex decision-making. In many industries, the focus is likely to shift toward people working alongside AI tools.
Ans) Students should develop critical thinking, creativity, communication, problem-solving, adaptability, collaboration, digital literacy, and AI awareness. Practical experience through projects, internships, competitions, and real-world activities can also help students become more career-ready.
Ans) A degree remains important for many careers and professions, but students can benefit from combining academic qualifications with practical skills, digital literacy, industry exposure, and continuous learning.
Ans) Students can prepare by learning beyond textbooks, developing practical skills, gaining project and internship experience, improving communication and problem-solving abilities, learning about AI and digital tools, and developing a habit of lifelong learning.
Ans) Future-ready skills are abilities that help people adapt to changing workplaces and technologies. These include critical thinking, creativity, communication, collaboration, digital literacy, problem-solving, adaptability, leadership, and continuous learning.
Ans) AI is influencing education through personalised learning, AI-powered learning tools, automated assistance, digital resources, and new approaches to teaching and assessment. It also highlights the importance of teaching students how to apply knowledge, think critically, and use technology responsibly.
Ans) Yes. Understanding basic AI concepts and learning how to use AI tools responsibly can help students become more comfortable with emerging technologies. AI learning should be combined with strong subject knowledge, critical thinking, creativity, and ethical awareness.
