Our young people will soon be confronted with challenging economic times ahead. For this reason, students of the Bachelor in Management (BSc) at ESCP Business School are provided with all the soft and technological skills needed to adapt and evolve in response to the new economy. Digital skills, entrepreneurship, flexibility, adaptability, and lifelong learning: a combination of abilities that will significantly impact future leaders in this new world.
How can young people acquire the technological skills needed for a challenging and constantly changing economic environment?
During these unprecedented and uncertain times, we can’t help but think about how the future looks undetermined. Among many other habits, our working practices have changed (maybe forever), and technology is central to this revolution.
Certain technological advances are likely to exacerbate the issue of youth unemployment. Let’s think about eCommerce platforms replacing physical stores or robots employed in manufacturing. Business leaders worldwide are changing strategies to keep up, making it important for those who want to thrive (rather than just survive) to become technologically-literate.
During the 2020 World Economic Forum Annual Meeting, in fact, it emerged that:
- In 10 years time, 50% of jobs will be changed by automation – but only 5% eliminated
- 9 out of 10 jobs will require digital skills
Although this may come as a drastic change to many, change also brings opportunities; greater access to information, new sources of income and jobs, meaningful work, lifelong learning, and collaboration on a global scale.
The Bachelor in Management (BSc) evolves in response to the changing economy and prepares students with core skills needed for future jobs. ESCP graduates are particularly well-placed and trained to operate as successful managers in up-and-coming tech fields. Key modules include Operations Management and Business Information Systems, examining how data can be analysed and interpreted to support business decision-making, Computer Skills, and Key Scientific and Technological Issues in Business.
The Bachelor programme also features collective projects and internships that give students the chance to work with leading companies in the critical fields of data, software, and media.
In this new age of technology, to what extent do soft skills matter?
As the world recovers from the Covid-19, companies are transitioning in more aspects than they ever envisioned before the pandemic hit. Many say ongoing soft skill acquisition is essential in today’s “new normal” workplace. To the point that the Financial Times included soft skills among the 5 essential abilities to succeed in the 2020s, encouraging young people to develop, above all, emotional intelligence. Even managers in high-tech companies rely, more than ever before, on both technical and soft skills to do their jobs.
This is where non-business Bachelor programme modules such as Introduction to Psychology and Sociology and Intercultural Skills come in, through which students will need to hone soft skills such as active listening and interpersonal skills.
Teamwork, creative thinking, adaptability, as well as project and time management are all equally hallmarks of ESCP graduates.
Regardless of the technology used in the world of business and elsewhere, companies still need CEOs. The leadership skills, self-confidence, and communication capabilities that come from a programme that draws the brightest talents from all over the world – and then sends them out to three different European countries over the course of three years – will never be obsolete.
Learn more about the Bachelor in Management (BSc) and discover why understanding the impact of technology on business is a crucial part of a future leader’s education.
