And despite concerns of a global market crash, the number of students who feel worried, nervous or scared about what the future holds has increased by only 17 percent since 2016. The vast majority (85 percent) still feel optimistic about their career prospects.
Compared with this time in 2016, 18 percent more high school students have a dream job that they’re working toward. While the near future may hold many uncertainties for students, their overall outlook is still hopeful.
READ MORE: Discover why professional certifications for students are important for workforce readiness.
How High School Students See School Today
Providing learning opportunities outside the classroom may be key to preparing today’s students for the workforce too. The survey found that 57 percent of high school students believe what they learn outside of school is more important to their futures — a 30 percent increase from 2016.
“This year — a year like no other before it — sees students heading back to schools that are vastly different than the definition of ‘school’ they’ve grown up with,” writes Mala Sharma, vice president and general manager of Creative Cloud Product, Marketing and Community for Adobe, in a blog post. “Not only do students have to acclimate to classrooms that look quite different, they find themselves acclimating to a future with many unknowns.”
That’s why it’s mission-critical for educators to prioritize skills like creativity, critical thinking, problem-solving and communication, even beyond the four walls of the traditional classroom, Sharma said during her presentation at The Anywhere School, Google’s virtual event for educators.
By integrating accessible digital learning tools — from the free Adobe Spark to other cloud-based applications — into the curriculum, schools can foster these 21st-century skills no matter where students are and encourage independent thinking and learning, she said.