4C UR Future Volunteer Delivers TED Talk On Careers Education

On the 8th of February 2021, 4C UR Future volunteer, Rachel Doherty, delivered a TED Talk titled ‘Why We Need To Disrupt Careers Education’.

A founding volunteer of 4C UR Future, Rachel has spent 12 years in the engineering and manufacturing sectors in Northern Ireland, where skills shortages and bottle-necks in skills pipelines are well reported.

When asked why she chose careers education as the topic of her talk, she said:

The skills crisis isn’t going anywhere without collaborative and collective action. Planning for this talk was two years in the making, and if anything, skills challenges have gotten worse.”

At every industry event I’ve attended over the past eight years, skills shortages featured heavily, across all sectors. The events, locations, sectors, and faces may change, but the conversations ultimately are the same. After a while, we have to stop talking and start doing.”

Rachel delivered her TED Talk at TEDx DerryLondonderry, where the theme was ‘Imagine Change’.

My talk very much focused on the changes that are needed to deliver enhanced and effective careers education, including using innovative, creative, and collaborative approaches that are industry-led and centred on the needs of each young person.”

When it comes to in-demand skills and the world of work, we don’t need to imagine change – it’s most definitely already here. There are jobs today that didn’t exist ten years ago. The challenge now is how we, as a society, can collaborate to deliver up-to-date, relevant, and engaging careers support to young people, in a world where the pace of change is so fast.”

Asked why she joined 4C UR Future as a volunteer, she said:

Because I passionately believe in its mission. Today, careers education is about so much more than choosing subjects and picking a job. We know a ‘job for life’ rarely exists anymore. Instead, most people will work, on average, for 12 employers in their lifetime, spanning three different sectors.”

We know there is more choice today than ever before, and young people can become easily overwhelmed. They have to make education and career choices that can have a real impact on their future, without much exposure to the world of work, the realities of their career choices, or truly knowing if it is the right fit for them.”

4C UR Future’s collaborative, cross-sectoral, and fresh approach to these challenges is why I was so keen to get involved. Together, we can help young people make more empowered choices, with added and significant benefits for society, businesses, and the economy.”

Watch Rachel’s TED Talk in full here:

To find out more about 4C UR Future, and how you can get involved, email info@4curfuture.com.