There are many skills and techniques required to make a business, but schools will never ever be able to teach them. Many teachers do a great job of course, but it's not often that they have the experience or understanding of how to run a business.
Business owners need to understand accounts, admin, PR, marketing, HR and everything else that comes as part of running a business. Having a wide knowledge of everything that puts a business together is crucial and the current education system does not and never will cater for that. It's cool that you can design nice things, or code software but if you cannot hold a conversation or learn how to sell what can do, are you that valuable to a business?
Designers that cannot project manage, coders who have spent that long in the dark they can't even look you in the eye and hold a conversation (yes this happens). We need-multi skilled people who can quickly adapt and understand how businesses work.
In a good business, all the staff know how it sells, how it plan and what the business goals are. This allows them to be better at what they do; being transparent is key. Putting restrictions on people, blocking access to certain websites in schools (like Google Docs Cloud) and being strict is not good for young people. They leave school feeling nervous about the world and end up with anxiety at a young age, parents telling them that its all rosy and lovely out there when in fact its a hard slog. These kids then get into jobs and have a shock of their lives.
Schools should adopt more community work, more team building and do more one-to-ones with them. Each young person deals with things differently yet are all thrown into one classroom and taught together. Of course there's a reason for this and financially it might not be possible to do more one to ones.
However, if that could change I guarantee we would see better personal development and kids would be guided into the right career.
Do schools analyse what brain type young people have, and let them know what kind of jobs they would suit based on their personality and character?
Are you creative? Do you think outside the box? Do you like design? Are you inventive? Do you push the boundaries?
If so then you have a Create Brain and means that you could be suited to a job in web design, creative design, content creation, social media and coding.
Do you like to organise? Are you practical? Do you look at the bigger picture? Can you make things happen? If so then you have a Do Brain and means you could be suited to a job in client services, project management, production, account management or marketing.
Are you analytical? Do you measure results with numbers? Do you like to researching before you start a project? Are you good at spotting trends? If so then you have a Plan Brain which means you might be suited to a job in search, data analytics, insight and strategy, media planning and buying.
But while these might highlight particular skill sets, we need people to have a thirst for knowledge and the ability to adapt, to be agile enough to make the right decisions and take appropriate actions.
Everybody is different. We learn differently. Education needs to be about the individual, not the group.
An overhaul of the education system is needed if we are to develop young people who are equipped with the right skills, attitude and enthusiasm for the world of work.
Dave Hartshorne - Co-Founder at Dijitul