Futurist Frances Valintine: NZ's Looming Demographic Crisis & the Future of Work
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What demographic changes are affecting New Zealand's future?
We are one of the fastest changing demographies in the world. So our change from being a European-centric country to being a very multicultural country is happening right in front of our eyes. We also have an ageing population, so right now our biggest population is over 60. Our replacement of children now, instead of having 2.1 babies per woman at replacement rate, we're down at 1.5 and declining. Can you imagine what this country would look like when the two people working in 20 years' time, they're supporting a retiree, so you and I, all of us, plus at the same time they will be predominantly Māori, Pacific or migrant. So that's in a very, very short time. So while we're still all alive, we are going to see this country through a very different lens.
So the people who are working, we want to make sure that they are in the best possible position to be highly productive and thriving in whatever they choose to be.
What's the advice for how to prepare yourself for the market of the future?
So the most important thing is everybody needs to know AI. Every job of the future is going to have a component.
How is New Zealand's workforce evolving with an aging population?
So the longer you take to jump on that bandwagon, the harder it's going to be. The exponential kind of adoption rate and also the advances are so profound. We have to be really deliberate about we are going to have a lot less money. So unless we can find a way of attracting investment into this country, that will be our greatest challenge. I do think it's when you start delving into this, you start to go, OK, this is a really interesting time to be on the planet, but a really interesting time to be in this country.
This week on Between Two Bears, we talk to Frances Valentine. Frances is a futurist and education entrepreneur who has spent 30 years trying to make New Zealand smarter about its future and quietly succeeding.
She grew up on a farm in Taranaki, left New Zealand at 17 and came home a decade later to co-found Media Design School with her mum, which became the world's third highest rated film school. Then the Mind Lab, judged best startup in Asia Pacific by Richard Branson and Steve Wozniak. Then Tech Futures Lab, then Academy X, where she now employs a staff of 120 across two countries. This one is about AI, education, and what New Zealand needs to become. But mostly, it's just a remarkable life story.
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Francis Valentine, welcome to Between Two Beers. Kia ora, great to be here. We're very excited to have you in the One New Zealand studio this morning. We're incredibly grateful you've driven to Hamilton from Auckland for this one. But some of your colleagues have suggested they get a bit worried when you're travelling because they say you have time to think and they're never quite sure what you're going to come back with. So I wanted to start by asking what you were thinking about while you were driving to us from Auckland this morning.
I was actually listening to a podcast. One of my favorites, Hard Fork. Yeah, great, great podcast. So I hadn't listened to the last one. So I took that opportunity. And then the rest of the time I was on the phone.
Really? How are you doing both at the same time? Oh, you're... Rest of the time.
Yeah, rest of the time. Other time.
What role does AI play in the future job market?
Clues in the detail. I gather you've been away in Fiji recently though, so did you come back with any big ideas from that tour?
One of those holidays, like a literal holiday, which I have never done. I've never been to an island and just taken a pile of books and read books and that's all I did.
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Chapters
8 chapters
1
What demographic changes are affecting New Zealand's future?
0:00–1:00
2
How is New Zealand's workforce evolving with an aging population?
1:00–3:23
3
What role does AI play in the future job market?
3:23–12:21
4
How can individuals prepare for the rapidly changing job landscape?
12:21–1:19:05
5
How is Academy X expanding into Australia?
1:19:05–1:19:22
6
What challenges do mid-career learners face in education?
1:19:22–1:21:49
7
How does Frances Valintine view the relevance of traditional MBAs?
1:21:49–2:13:49
8
What is the concept behind Loveheart for over 60s?
2:13:49–2:34:55
Speakers
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