Deloitte Expands the Future of Work Institute to Help Prepare More Students for New Career Realities

ARLINGTON, Va., Sept. 21, 2022 — Deloitte is collaborating this fall with colleges and universities across the United States to offer a groundbreaking curriculum through its Future of Work Institute. The program helps students develop foundational human skills, navigate continuous change and understand the importance of diversity and inclusion in the new economy.

Ten schools collaborated to pilot the program last school year, providing lessons that bridge a critical gap between students’ formal academic studies and the skills employers need from today’s labor market and tomorrow’s business leaders.

The schools participating in this fall semester include Boston University, Florida State University, Howard University, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, University of Southern California and Dallas College.

“Increasing connectivity, robotics and technology continue to change the nature of work, while new talent models and the gig economy are reinventing jobs,” said Roy Mathew, principal, Deloitte Consulting LLP, and Deloitte’s national practice leader for higher education. “Earning a college degree is as important as ever, but it’s critical for students today to embrace resilience as a mindset, understand that they may need new skills as their careers progress, and adopt lifelong learning practices to keep their competencies relevant.”

Enter the microcredential — a qualification earned through a short, focused training that identifies a person’s competence in a skill. Many colleges and universities are looking toward microcredentials to help students and working professionals quickly upgrade or enhance their skill sets. The emergence of microcredentialing is one component of the evolving workforce.

Deloitte graduated over 250 students from its Future of Work Institute during the 2021-2022 academic year, conferring microcredentials from 10 higher education institutions.

The Future of Work is the term used to describe changes in the global labor force expected over the next decade, including current shifts shaped by technology and societal expectations. Deloitte specializes in Future of Work transformation — advising businesses, governments and higher education institutions on emerging workforce and workplace strategies.

The Future of Work Institute curriculum emphasizes the development of foundational human skills such as empathy, emotional intelligence, written and verbal communication, adaptability and resiliency, curiosity, critical thinking and problem-solving, and logical reasoning. These skills positively influence students’ empathetic listening, creativity, collaboration and teaming.

Deloitte’s Future of Work Institute microcredential program provides a set of individual pre-lab and post-lab assignments for further reflection and optional sessions that students can join to dive deeper into specific aspects of the skills, technology and work experiences discussed.

“From junior university students starting to explore future career options to masters’ students who have experienced disruption in previous careers, the Future of Work Institute is meant to help students prepare effectively for a career that will inevitably change and be disrupted,” Mathew said. “This skill could be especially important for first-generation students who might be exploring a career path for the first time.”

“The facilitators were really awesome — they have shown me different ways that I can leverage my major and what I want to do in the future,” said BriAunna Palmer, a student in the College of Business at Florida State University and Future of Work Institute graduate. “It’s actually opened my eyes a lot to how it’s changing and how we should prepare for it.”

Employers estimate that critical thinking, analytical skills, problem-solving, and skills related to self-management — such as active learning, resilience, stress tolerance and flexibility — will be in the highest demand by 2025, according to “The Future of Jobs Report 2020” from the World Economic Forum. However, few traditional education programs focus on these competencies in their curricula. Colleges collaborating with Deloitte to develop the Future of Work Institute modules can adjust lessons based on their needs.

“The value of the Future of Work Institute program is its focus on the future. By pushing participants to examine where the world of work is heading, students can identify the competencies necessary to contend in a highly competitive, global marketplace,” said Darren Brooks, assistant dean of Florida State University College of Business and a Future of Work Institute advisory board member. “This complementary program enhances the academic experience of my students to ensure they are prepared for whatever direction the future of work takes.”

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