It wont be long before schools and further education establishments start the new term for the year ahead.
What a strange time it has been for everyone.
Covid completely turned everything on its head, with disruption to traditional learning routes and a break in social interactions.
There was a revolution in fast track online education delivery, which at least managed to keep lines of communication open, all be it in a reduced and untested way.
It is only now that course work and exams have returned to a more acceptable pattern, and thousands of students make plans for their futures.
However, it seems it is not quite as simple as returning to the previous model of finding the required pathway and being fortunate enough to be able to follow it.
Many things about the general workplace have changed. Some as a result of Covid, such as working from home, and others to do with a general shift in society.
Gone are the days when one could pursue the career or employment of choice, with a future of stability, progression and achievement.
Students are faced with the dilemma of pursuing a university or college degree, only to find that there may be limited or no jobs at the end of it, and faced with student debt, which may ultimately affect their spending power, such as purchasing a home.
Contrast that to an apprenticeship type of further education, where the student is sponsored by an employer, who pays for the education whilst the student is on their payroll, and works between education and training. It seems a win win for both employer and student.
The down side might be that the training is too specific towards that particular employer and may not fit well with another should the student move on. Similarly, the employer could lose out if they pay for the student`s education, and then lose the student to another business.
Students may also look to self employment. They may be influenced by the successes of many in the world of technology, and feel that they could make their mark in that direction.
Creative skills are in high demand, and many are rising to the challenge with great success.
Competition is high, so a secure future is not guaranteed.
We often hear of everyone trying to achieve a work life balance, where work is seen to be not only enjoyable, but financially rewarding, and with time to enjoy other aspects of life.
In order to achieve this, it may call for radical shifts.
Perhaps working from home or a shorter working week?
With the expansion of AI, this may be an inevitability which will affect everyone, as it is becoming clear that AI will alter the content of many jobs, and the reduction of personnel will be part of the knock on effect.
Lack of security may be a negative aspect, as futures are often reliant on the wishes of society at the time.
There are always winners and losers, even as a result of Covid, many people profited whilst others lost out.
It is difficult to know which way to take, and in an ideal world, perhaps a mixture of all of them.
Education never goes wrong, that is why people from other countries have it at the top of their wish lists. It opens doors across the world, and broadens horizons.
From a practical point of view, most employers want their staff to work, and have been finding that sometimes graduates have gone through the university or college model without actually having to physically engage in appropriate skills, which have been a huge disadvantage. It therefore makes sense to be familiar with a work situation, even if it is a holiday or part time job.
There are more opportunities now than ever before for creativity to be recognized, but should it have some sort of academic background in case it doesn`t work out? Many students are weighing this up.
It pays to be street wise, and know what is happening in the outside world, particularly if in a specialized creative market.
Whatever choice is made, it would seem a good idea to learn as much as possible as life goes along, find strengths and weaknesses, keep in touch with reality and invest wisely.
Whatever the outcome, it is hoped that all young people have the very best motivation, perseverance, persistence, good luck and happiness for their futures.
