Technology has changed the world at a rapid rate. Will Australia’s kids have the skills they need for the Australia of tomorrow? Data collected for the CommBank Connected Future Report suggest women are confident they do.
Each generation has faced a world of technological change. The ‘Builders’ Generation (before 1945) remember the introduction of the television and radio. The Baby Boomers (1946 – 1964) embraced the typewriter before Gen X (1965 – 1979) came of age with personal computers. Gen Y (1980 – 1994) transitioned away from paper encyclopedias, spending their formative years surfing the web for their school projects while Gen Zs (1995 – 2009), the generation just starting to enter the workforce, have been swiping touchscreen smartphones from their childhood. Today’s kids, known as Gen Alpha (2010 – 2024) are now gearing up to take on a technological world, often using iPads before they can talk!
According to a study conducted by CBA, responders in the mid 30’s to mid 40’s (includes Gen X and Gen Y), the generation encompassing the parents of Aussie kids, were significantly more optimistic than those in the younger age brackets, being more likely to respond ‘yes’ when asked whether our kids have the skills for tomorrow.
The biggest optimism leap appears to happen in the mid-late 30’s (a 5.15% increase from responders in the 25-29 age bracket) with over half (51.2%) of this demographic responding positively.
It’s interesting that this is the lifestage where many parents have their children entering school. Alongside basic spelling and arithmetic, kids these days are being equipped for tomorrow with computer skills and even coding classes, and parents are confident their kids have what it takes.
Women are the most optimistic about the skills of Aussie kids, with the CommBank data showing 52% believing our kids are future ready, compared to just 48% of men. This trend was accentuated across the younger generations especially, with an obvious difference noted in the 25 – 39 age bracket. These Gen Y women were significantly more optimistic than males in this generation, with a 5.15% differential between the sexes compared with the 3.24% differential nationally.
This trend was seen in all states across the nation. As the landscape of the work continues to rapidly change and evolve, it is evident that the majority of Australian women believe our kids’ will have what it takes to succeed in the future.
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