Prepared Remarks from Secretary DeVos at Meeting of
G20 Education Ministers
MENDOZA,
Argentina – I appreciate the opportunity to be with all of you and to meet and
learn from so many of my counterparts in education and employment from across
the G20.
I
want to especially thank Minister Finocchiaro and his team. We are grateful for
your work in planning and hosting this first-ever G20 Education Ministers
Meeting. I also very much enjoyed visiting two of your impressive schools
yesterday in Mendoza, UNCUYO and Infinito, and meeting some of the talented
educators and the students they serve. Gracias por su hospitalidad!
This
gathering provides an important opportunity to learn from each other,
acknowledging the vital link between education and the economy. Here, we can
discuss our respective challenges, and, importantly, discuss ways to improve
education for all students on their lifelong learning journeys as they prepare
for today’s and tomorrow’s careers.
Indeed,
education and the economy are indivisible, especially given the interconnectedness
of the world today. In the United States, we are focused on expanding pathways
to success. We recognize that a dynamic and changing economy requires dynamic
and changing approaches to education.
We
must first acknowledge that every student is an individual. There is no
one-size-fits-all approach that works for every student – and there is no such
thing as an “average” student. Each of them come to learn with different
experiences, different needs, different learning styles and different dreams.
Their education must be equally customized and individualized.
How
we approach education must reflect the realities of today’s economy, with an
eye toward tomorrow’s opportunities. We simply don’t know what the economy will
look like 10 years from now, or even five years from now.
So
students must be prepared to anticipate and adapt. They need to
acquire and master broadly transferrable and versatile educational competencies
like critical thinking, collaboration, communication, creativity and cultural
intelligence. These are essential – but often unaddressed – skills for students
regardless of their chosen careers.
Students
also need to be better prepared to pursue professions not yet imagined.
Forecasting experts for Dell Computers recently estimated that “around 85
percent of the jobs that today’s learners will be doing in 2030 haven’t been
invented yet.”
Students
need multiple and flexible pathways to pursue the opportunities that our global
economy offers. Such pathways include industry-recognized certificates,
two-year degrees, stackable credits, advanced degrees, badges, four-year
degrees, micro-degrees, apprenticeships and more.
All
of these are valid pursuits. Each should be embraced as such. If it’s the right
fit for the student, then it’s the right education. And importantly, no stigma
should stand in the way of a student’s journey to success.
To
that end, President Donald Trump has made apprenticeship expansion a national
priority. He established a national Task Force on Apprenticeships, which I
co-chaired. Our charge was to explore ways to empower Americans with options to
earn and learn, and to encourage entrepreneurs and educators to work together.
I
recall two women I was fortunate to meet. One had been to university and was
working as a court reporter. After several years, she found herself bored with
her desk job and looking for something new. She pursued a Mechatronics program
at a community college and said she’s never been happier.
Another
student had studied to be a professional ballet dancer. Unable to support
herself, she enrolled in a welding program and is today employed in high tech
manufacturing.
The
antiquated notion that education begins when you are five and ends when you
turn 18 or 22 suggests that education is merely transactional, with a finite
beginning and end. But there is no finish line.
Learning
must be lifelong, because careers are like highways, not one-way or dead-end
streets. Highways have many off-ramps and on-ramps. Students should be able to
exit easily for a time to learn a new skill, then re-enter the highway at an
on-ramp of their choosing and change lanes as needed.
I
recently met a 70-year-old man who was in his fourth career. His first was as a
helicopter pilot. He then went on to work in the defense contracting industry,
followed by another career in banking. He then found retirement to be quite
boring, so he learned the necessary skills to drive big 18 wheeler trucks
across America. And he said his fourth career is his best one yet!
Just
as he was open to new possibilities, we too must constantly look for new
opportunities and embrace new approaches in education. Ultimately, students
demand that we fundamentally rethink education, and the 21st century global
economy requires that we do so.
“Rethink”
means we question everything to ensure nothing limits a student from being
prepared for what comes next.
Thank you and I look forward to our next steps,
together.
###
|
