High skills: The key to the age of artificial intelligence

The education and human capital report prepared by the Institute for Social Studies states that in the long-term economic performance of countries, it is not only the average duration of schooling that is decisive, but also the cognitive, social, and emotional skills acquired through education.

The report notes that while global GDP per capita was at the level of 816 dollars in 1970 and rose to 13 thousand 631 dollars in 2024, global prosperity growth has not been equal among countries, and high-income countries have increased the gap between themselves and other countries over time.

IN WHICH SECTORS DO HIGH-INCOME ECONOMIES CONCENTRATE

According to the report, economic development is not just about income growth; the transformation in the production structure is also among the fundamental indicators of development. According to 2023 data, the share of the service sector in GDP in high-income countries was 69.1 percent, while this rate was 35.4 percent in low-income countries. While the share of agriculture remained at a rate of 1.4 percent in high-income countries, this rate was 26.3 percent in low-income countries.

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PISA SUCCESS AND ECONOMIC PERFORMANCE

In analyses based on OECD PISA data, it was stated that countries such as China, Singapore, South Korea, Poland, and Ireland, which have shown high economic growth performance in recent times, also have above-average PISA results.

The report also included the Cognitive Workforce Index developed by the Institute for Social Studies. The relationship between the index value—which consists of the PISA high-level achievement rate, general PISA score, average years of schooling, and life expectancy indicators—and the prosperity levels of countries was highlighted. According to the study, countries with high index scores are also ranked at the top in terms of income per capita.

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IS CHANGING THE SKILLS DEMANDED IN THE WORKFORCE

The report states that digitalization, automation, and artificial intelligence technologies are creating a significant transformation in labor markets. According to the World Economic Forum's Future of Jobs report, while 44 percent of employers anticipate that the core skills of employees will change significantly over the next five years, approximately 60 percent of companies need reskilling and upskilling programs for their employees.

While technology-intensive professions such as data analysts, artificial intelligence specialists, cybersecurity experts, and software developers are expected to grow, it was noted that employment losses may occur in areas such as data entry and routine administrative tasks.

SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL SKILLS ARE LINKED TO ACADEMIC SUCCESS

The report draws attention to the fact that social and emotional skills such as self-control, responsibility, cooperation, curiosity, and creativity are related to academic success and life outcomes.

According to OECD data, there is a strong relationship between academic success and social and emotional skills such as achievement motivation, perseverance, curiosity, responsibility, and self-control. According to studies, children with developed social and emotional skills are more likely to be successful in academic life.

As highlighted in the report, OECD data shows that socioeconomically disadvantaged students perform lower in all areas of social and emotional skills.

The report draws attention to the increasing importance of social and emotional skills for the success and prosperity of future generations in Turkey, while pointing to the critical role that socioeconomic conditions play in the development of students' social and emotional skills.

News Source: 12punto