Reimagining Careers in a Rapidly Changing World- Key Insights from the Future of Jobs Report 2025, World Economic Forum
As a primary science specialist passionate about careers education, I believe it's crucial to prepare young learners for a world of work that's transforming faster than ever. The recent World Economic Forum's Future of Jobs Report 2025 paints a vivid picture of this changing landscape, identifying key challenges and exciting opportunities that will shape the labour market through to 2030.
At the heart of this shift is technology- especially generative AI- which is driving both job creation and job displacement. In fact, 22% of current jobs are expected to be disrupted by 2030, with 14% being newly created and 8% phased out. The biggest winners? Roles in data, AI, automation of financial services, and the green economy. Yet frontline and care roles such as farmworkers, delivery drivers, nurses, and teachers will also see significant growth, highlighting the continued need for both high-tech and human-centric jobs.
Alongside technological advances, challenges such as economic uncertainty, climate change, demographic shifts, and geo-political tensions are reshaping workforce needs. For instance:
- Climate change is spurring demand for green jobs like renewable energy engineers and environmental specialists.
- Ageing populations are increasing the need for healthcare professionals, while younger populations in lower-income area are boosting demand for educators.
- Global tensions and hostilities/wars between countries are prompting shifts in business models and workforce placement, with increased emphasis on cybersecurity and resilience.
It’s important to remember that the findings in the report are projections, not certainties. Central to the analysis is a unique dataset based on a large-scale survey of over 1,000 global employers, representing more than 14 million workers across 22 industries and 55 economies. These insights provide an informed forecast of trends shaping the 2025–2030 jobs landscape, helping policymakers, educators and businesses prepare for multiple potential futures.
A clear call to action in the report is the need to address skills gaps. As 39% of workers' skills are projected to be outdated by 2030, reskilling and upskilling efforts are more vital than ever. Employers identify analytical thinking, technological literacy, and resilience as top skills of the future. However, whilst 59% of the workforce could require training, 11% may be left behind due to a lack of access or investment.
The report also emphasises the importance of inclusive recruitment practices, mental health and well-being support, and fair wage strategies as central to retention and recruitment.
So what does this mean for us as educators?
It reinforces the urgency of embedding future skills- like critical thinking, adaptability, and commitment to building a sustainable future- into our teaching. Helping children see the links between science, society, and the skills of tomorrow isn’t just important; it’s essential.
As educators, we must also prioritise our own development. Staying up to date with high-quality, subject-specific CPD, especially with embedded AI and digital literacy, is crucial to ensure we're teaching in ways that are both relevant and forward-thinking. Not only does this equip us to better prepare our pupils for the future, but it also helps us stay agile, informed, and employable in an evolving education workforce ourselves.
Follow the link below to access the full report.
WEF_Future_of_Jobs_Report_2025.pdf