8 Reasons Why We're Not Prepared For The Future

The world is changing faster than we can imagine. Students who enrolled in university today have different expectations from those that are graduating this year.

Fascinating statistics out of Amherst College, in western Massachusetts. These stats were cherry-picked from a bigger list available at Academic Commons in the post, IT Index. The school enrolled 438 first year students this fall and has a total student population of over 1600.

It’s painfully obvious that the workplace is not ready for these types of graduates. If you think blocking Facebook and access to YouTube is going to increase productivity, take a look at how these future employees work and what their expectations are/will be…

8 Reasons Why We’re Not Prepared For The Future:

1. Percentage of applicants who applied online last year: 89%.

2. Students in the class of 2012 who registered computers, iPhones, game consoles, etc. on the campus network by the end of the day on August 24th, the day they moved into their dorm rooms: 370 students registered 443 devices.

3. Number of students in the class of 2012 who brought desktop computers to campus: 14.

4. Number that brought iPhones/iTouches: 93.

5. Total number of students on campus this year that have landline phone service: 5.

6. Mac or PC? Of the four classes currently on campus the classes of 2009 and 2010 are more likely to own Windows, while the classes of 2011 and 2012 are more likely to own Macs.

7. Average number of emails received per day: 180,000.

8. Percentage of email that arrives on campus that is spam: 94%.

If you don’t see the link between your business, what you’re doing online and what you’re doing in the mobile space, you’re going to be in for a huge surprise in the next 3-6 years. Students entering the workforce clearly see having a laptop as being "tethered". We’re going mobile… and it’s happening fast.

What do you think business must do today to connect to their future employees?

(hat tip to Jim from Twist Image).