What Students Need

The World Economic Forum's Future of Jobs Report 2025 provides a comprehensive analysis of the evolving global labor market from 2025-2030, based on survey responses from over 1,000 companies collectively employing more than 14 million workers across 22 industries and 55 economies. While not the only such report, the WEF's effort represents solid research and a global scope that makes it well worthy of attention. 

Among the take-aways from the 290–page document are:  

• A structural transformation affecting 22% of today's jobs is expected by 2030, with the creation of 170 million new jobs and displacement of 92 million existing jobs, resulting in net growth of 78 million jobs globally; 

• Approximately 39% of workers' core skill requirements will change by 2030; 

• The key drivers of change include technological change, economic uncertainty, the green transition, demographic shifts, and geoeconomic fragmentation; and  

• Analytical thinking remains and will be the most sought-after core skill, followed by resilience/flexibility, and leadership/social influence. 

Every school from pre-K to graduate programs says it develops the above skills. The strategic question for education leaders is how their institutions can even further inculcate the skills into what graduates take away with their diplomas. That value proposition can be your competitive advantage.