Education
I For Inclusion, G For Gig Economy; This Book Prepares Children For The Future
This book introduces kids to the real world using alphabets.
Here’s a book that prepares your child for the real future of work. Presented through limericks, the book introduces the child to the real world using alphabets. From automation and gig economy to pay gaps and organized labour, it keeps it real without trying to instil fear and informs kids of the 26 different aspects they might face in the future.
Here’s how it works, kid
When you’re young, you just play,
But things will start changing,
You’ll start working one day
Sure, the future is murky,
The job market’s unclear,
But if you can stay nimble,
You have nothing to fear
Let’s review the future of work,
From letters A to Z,
It won’t be so frightening,
Just you see
Why keep them away from the reality and raise them with false hopes when we can tell them how it is and prepare them to face and challenge problems with great life lessons? Like, the book doesn’t shy away from addressing the pay disparity that women and people of color face or for that matter, the current quarantine time or the falling economy and potential moving to Mars in the future!
From something as dreadful as quarantine times to something as easy as getting good sleep, here’s a preview of what it holds:
A is for Automation,
That great destroyer of jobs,
In the olden days,
It brought out the mobs
It can also be great,
Something people can dig,
The agricultural revolution for example,
Farming was a really hard gig
The effect is complicated,
It creates and it ends,
Is it going to hurt you?
Hard to know, it depends
G is for Gig economy,
Like working for Uber or Task Rabbit,
It’s more common to have a side hustle,
You might consider that habit
The gig economy is growing,
But, so far, the job market’s still stable,
Full-time work hasn’t vanished,
If you are willing and able
I is for Inclusion,
Companies want a staff that’s diverse,
They are hiring managers to make that happen,
In some industries, it could hardly be worse
As you enter the workforce,
Make sure you treat all with respect,
Try to understand your biases and differences,
So your actions will be correct
J is for Job search,
It’s getting easier to find a match,
You’ve got job sites like LinkedIn,
Companies will know you’re a catch
It might mean you stay longer at a firm,
You’ll have better job satisfaction,
And when you look for a new gig,
You will surely make traction
Q is for Quarantine,
A virus may bring work to a halt,
You may lose your job,
And it won’t be your fault
You can do your best to save,
Or find a firm that’s financially secure,
It’s good to have a nest egg,
The future is never quite sure
Z is for Zzz,
The importance of sleep,
If you want to be productive,
Your rest should be deep
But regardless of work,
You should take time just for you,
Your future will be successful,
If work isn’t all that you do
The book is by Quartz, a journalism website, which is available here (https://qz.com/1712239/a-childrens-book-about-the-global-economy-and-the-future-of-work/). An audio version read by Annie is also available here (https://soundcloud.com/dan-kopf-237634179/a-is-for-automation-with-audio#t=0:07)