We're sitting on a demographic time bomb. Our huge youth population is rapidly becoming a burden, not a boon. Why? Because they're not employed, at least not meaningfully. This leads to a cascade of other negative effects.
Two major reasons for this unemployment are the lack of skills and lack of opportunities. But without the opportunity to work, you do not get to develop those skills. And without the skills, you do not get the opportunity to work. That's the cold-start problem.
And education, which should be the solution to skill-gap, is part of the problem. Our education system is too theoretical, too focused on book learning, and too slow to adapt. It doesn't give students the real-world experience they need to succeed.
But fixing the education system is neither straightforward nor a complete-enough solution. For one, it's too far up the funnel - any changes we make today won't have an impact for years to come. And by the time they do, the job market will have changed again, leaving our graduates unprepared. It's a long feedback cycle that doesn't allow for timely course correction.
Moreover, even the best education systems can't replicate the real-world experience that's essential for skilling. You can't learn to ride a bike by reading a book; you need to get on the bike and ride.
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So, what's the solution? Learning by doing. It's the key to skilling. Instead of wasting time on toy problems, let's give people real work to do. Let's create an ecosystem where everyone can learn by doing, exploring, and solving real-world problems.
Here's how it works:
Two major reasons for this unemployment are the lack of skills and lack of opportunities. But without the opportunity to work, you do not get to develop those skills. And without the skills, you do not get the opportunity to work. That's the cold-start problem.
And education, which should be the solution to skill-gap, is part of the problem. Our education system is too theoretical, too focused on book learning, and too slow to adapt. It doesn't give students the real-world experience they need to succeed.
But fixing the education system is neither straightforward nor a complete-enough solution. For one, it's too far up the funnel - any changes we make today won't have an impact for years to come. And by the time they do, the job market will have changed again, leaving our graduates unprepared. It's a long feedback cycle that doesn't allow for timely course correction.
Moreover, even the best education systems can't replicate the real-world experience that's essential for skilling. You can't learn to ride a bike by reading a book; you need to get on the bike and ride.
_______________________________________
So, what's the solution? Learning by doing. It's the key to skilling. Instead of wasting time on toy problems, let's give people real work to do. Let's create an ecosystem where everyone can learn by doing, exploring, and solving real-world problems.
Here's how it works:
- Create byte-sized problems that need solving.
- Open them up to anyone, regardless of background or gender.
- Let inexperienced candidates tackle these problems as they learn.
- The output will be valuable, and the experience will be priceless.
As an example, imagine a 35-year-old chef who wants to become a product manager in software. We give them a real-world problem to solve - let's say, building a new product feature that would require value-risk assessment. It requires user research, target group identification, and feature analysis. They work on it, learning as they go, and producing something of value. The output may not be perfect, but it's real, and it's valuable. And the experience they gain is priceless.
Do this at scale, across multiple skills and professions, and the momentum will be huge. We'll have a credible set of value research done by people who've gained real-world experience. And we'll have a workforce that's skilled, confident, and ready to contribute.
It's time to stop talking about the problem and start solving it. Let's create the ecosystem that values learning by doing, and watch our demographic dividend actually become a driving force for growth and innovation.
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NOTE: This thought was crystallized by a recent post from Jason - "Do Learn". It's a reminder that the best way to learn is by doing, not just reading or listening.