New Careers in the 21st Century

Vast developments in technology, the workplace and the economy over the last few decades has been incredible and such developments are still continuing till today. Widespread use of technology, the Internet and global competition have shown that the economy of the 21st century has arrived even earlier than expected. This has, in turn, created a new avenue for careers and a new breed of Professionals and Professionalism has emerged. With its' advent new challenges for employers and workers is also being observed. This new global economy is also creating a labour force working in a high-performance workplace. Economic success in this new era requires organizational work systems, to allow worker teams to operate with greater autonomy and accountability. These new forms of organization and management cannot succeed without additional investments in the skills of workers. In the workplace of the 21st century, the Nation’s workers will need to be better educated to fill new jobs and more flexible to respond to the changing knowledge and skill requirements of existing jobs. Meeting the challenge of employment and training will require not only the best efforts of employers, educators and trainers, unions, and individual but also creating new forms of cooperation and collaboration among these groups. Lifelong skills development must become one of the central pillars of the new economy.

What's New in the 21st Century?
A set of new economic opportunities has ushered in competitiveness and worker prosperity is tied tightly to the education and skill attainment of the workforce. Involvement of everyone - employers, educators and trainers, unions, workers, and the government, is being stressed to build aggressively and purposefully upon the Nation’s progress. Dynamic partnerships are essential to ensuring that all have affordable and convenient access to acquiring skills for the 21st-century economy. The economic health of the Nation and individual well-being rest on the success of this team effort.

Development in technology has led to careers which were once not even perceived. Traditional Careers like doctors, engineers are still in demand but a new breed of careers are more in vogue and are being more pursued by the young generation. Careers that have emerged are in fields of biotechnology, laser, robotic, information technology, telecommunications, information management, computer, aerospace, medical technology and superconductivity technology. Self-employment and small business developments are becoming a more often norm than big business. Career changes have become more frequent because of rapidly changing organizations and industries.

Requirements of 21st Century Careers

• Advanced Basic Skills: Basics of reading, writing and computation are now the new tools of Advanced Basic Skills. These are needed in jobs of all kinds. Reading skills are essential as most employees increasingly work with information on computer terminals, forms, charts, instructions, manuals, and other information displays. Computation skills are needed to organize data for analysis and problem-solving. Writing is an essential part of communications, conveying guidance to others, and in establishing a permanent base of information.
• Skills of Technical Nature: Computer skills have already become baseline requirements for many jobs. A variety of advanced information, telecommunications, and manufacturing technologies are being used by the Work Force. Employers utilise technology more than ever to boost productivity and efficiency, and to deliver services to customers in new ways. This further has led to the constant advancement of skills. Information technology changes rapidly, requiring workers to frequently upgrade their skills for competency in successive generations of technology.
• Improved Organizational Skills: New systems of management and organization, as well as employee/customer interactions, require a portfolio of skills in addition to academic and technical skills. These include communication skills, analytical skills, problem-solving and creative thinking, interpersonal skills, the ability to negotiate and influence, and self-management. More than half of non-managerial employees participated in regularly scheduled meetings to discuss work-related problems, indicating the need for these skills. 
• Company Specific Skills: New technology, market changes, and competition fuels innovation, constant upgrade of products and services and focus on continuous improvement of work processes. As a result, employees must frequently acquire new knowledge and skills specifically relevant to the company's products and services and their production processes or service delivery modes.

Most Sought-After Careers in the 21st Century

More and more jobs are being exported overseas and the workplace is becoming fiercely competitive. Choosing a career that will be in high demand in the future and afford you the lifestyle you want without creating credit and debt problems, is very vital. The following fields continue to grow at a faster than average rate:

• Healthcare: Administration, Nursing, Physical Health, Dentistry, Mental Health
• Technology: Biotechnology, Engineering, Information Technology
• Business and Professional Services: Financial Services (Banking, Securities, Accounting, Insurance), Human Resources, Law, Communications, Public Relations, Sales and Marketing, Food Services
• Public Service: Social Services, Education, State and Local Government

Emerging Careers in the 21st Century

Most of these are unheard and some are evolving and these careers are expected to be in high demand in the years to come:

• Information Broker
• Job Developer
• Leisure Consultant
• Bionic Electron Technician
• Computational Linquist
• Fibre Optic Technician
• Fusion Engineer
• Image Consultant
• Myotherapist
• Relocation Counselor
• Retirement Counselor
• Robot Technician
• Space Mechanic
• Underwater Archaeologist