I mean, if you’d told my teenage self that I’d be able to order take out through my phone and have a stranger go pick it up and drop it off at my doorstep WITHOUT EVER HAVING TO TALK TO ANOTHER HUMAN, I would have been equal parts shocked and thrilled.
So if we know the world is changing, then our workplaces and learning environments need to probably catch up right?
I mean, we spend enough time at werk werk werk werk werk, school, uni, TAFE, etc- in fact the majority of our waking hours in our working years.
The Australian Futures Project are currently running a great campaign called My Big Idea that calls on all Australians to reflect on some of these changes and put forward ideas for how we can solve these real big challenges.
Some of these challenges include education, housing affordability, healthcare and rising inequality. One of the big ones, is preparing for change; particularly in the area of work and learning. Learn more about the problem here.
Our thoughts exactly kid.
Real talk friends; given young people so often get left out of conversations about their futures we think its super important some youths get involved and submit ideas.
Want some ideas to get started?
1. Flexibility
We know that because of trends like globailisation, technological advances and THE INTERNET, the idea of the straight up office you got to every day from the hours of 9-5, has changed dramatically.
In a time where you can be studying or emailing on the couch while watching Keeping Up with the Kimmy’s our workplaces need to reflect this kind of flexibility.
So maybe it’s about having more flexible working hours, the idea of a global workplace with colleagues all over the world or accepting that more young people are engaging in casual work where they manage a whole series of projects.
If you have an awesome idea for how workplaces can become more flexible, submit your idea here.
2. Accessibility and equality FIRST
Let’s not muck around, the Western working world and education system are designed for a particular type of working person. This person is likely to be able-bodied, childless or not the primary care giver, highly educated, heterosexual, middle-upper class and a man.
Making sure that workplaces and schools are accessible for people with a range of physical, social and cognitive needs, that workplaces are accepting and supportive of working parents, that women aren’t treated differently if they do or don’t have kids and that people from all backgrounds have the opportunity to succeed.
If you have an idea for how your workplace, school or learning space could be more inclusive and accessible then submit this idea here.
3. COOL SPACES
There really is something very cool about the idea of riding around your office or school on scooters, playing table tennis to creativity going, SLEEP PODS, comfortable chairs, colour, natural light and SLEEP PODS.
The importance of having a space that inspires you and helps you feel free to express your ideas and do good thinking is so real.
And it might not be that you need to go total ‘The Block’ on your environment, it might just be about moving furniture around, having community developed spaces or artworks, having the option of working or learning outside under a tree if that’s your jam. DREAM big.
If you have ideas on how your workplace or school could get real COOL then submit it to My Big Idea.
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