Problem finders, not solvers, needed

When machines take over coding and work is fragmented, a revolution in education is needed

When the world emerges from the Covid-19 crisis, people will see some amazing stuff emerge, find that some long-established institutions disappear, and realise that the nature of work, workplaces and the workforce have been transformed, says the author. PHOTO: AFP
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The good Lord works in mysterious ways. He (She?) threw a pandemic at us at the exact same time as a tectonic shift in the way we will learn, work and employ. Fasten your seat belt.

When we emerge from this corona crisis, we are going to be greeted with one of the most profound eras of Schumpeterian creative destruction ever - which this pandemic is both accelerating and disguising.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on October 22, 2020, with the headline Problem finders, not solvers, needed. Subscribe