For the eighth time, the IFC Global Private Education Conference brought together leaders in private education from around the globe. Under the theme Learning for the Jobs of Tomorrow participants experienced two days of valuable networking and interesting discussions in beautiful Cape Town, South Africa.
370
PARTICIPANTS
238
COMPANIES & INSTITUTIONS
50
COUNTRIES
70%
SENIOR EXECUTIVES
LEARNING FOR THE JOBS OF TOMORROW
OPENING REMARKS
Salah-Eddine Kandri, Global Head of Education at IFC, opened the conference and highlighted how the education sector must become more responsive to dramatic changes in global labor markets.
KEYNOTE: THE EXPONENTIAL FUTURE OF WORK
How will future work environments look and what education will prepare students to thrive in them was the focus of keynote speaker Gary Bolles, Chair for the Future of Work at Singularity University, a Silicon Valley think-tank.
THE EMPLOYABILITY AGENDA — FLEXIBILITY IN A CHANGING WORLD
In the opening plenary session, speakers explored the overarching conference theme of how to impart to students the skills that match needs of the labor markets they will enter following their studies, as well as the skills that help them adapt and remain employable over the course of their lives.
IFC EMPLOYABILITY TOOL — LAUNCH
IFC chose Cape Town to roll out its first ever advisory service for education, an Employability Tool to help educators help students match their skillsets to employers and increase their returns for the time and money invested in higher education.
THE EMERGING TALENT MARKETPLACES
This panel discussed global talent markets, focusing on Brazil, Mexico, and various countries in Africa.
INVESTING IN FOUNDATIONAL SKILLS: WHY IT IS CRITICAL IN THE 4TH INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION
A panel on early childhood education and early primary years framed the discussion around defining foundational skills, and how and who should deliver them to children.
REIMAGINING TECHNICAL AND VOCATIONAL EDUCATION IN THE NEW ECONOMY
Four providers of technical and vocational education and training operating in emerging markets discussed current and future trends in their sector.
LIGHTNING TALKS
Conference participants heard a succession of five TED-style presentations on the implications of the Fourth Industrial Revolution for private education institutions.
THE LEARNING CRISIS — RENEWED FOCUS ON QUALITY
The opening session of Day 2 of the conference focused on the importance of quality and on learning outcomes at primary and secondary level, an issue highlighted in the World Bank's 2018 World Development Report, which sounded the alarm to a learning crisis in basic education.
GROWTH OF ALTERNATIVE CREDENTIALS AND IMPLICATIONS FOR EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS
As alternative credentials to campus-based Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees grow more popular, a panel explored the long-term implications of this trend for education and recruitment.
ADULTS IN THE NEW ECONOMY: THE CHALLENGE OF LIFELONG LEARNING
A panel of four experts sketched out the global landscape for adult learning.
FIRESIDE CHAT: LEADERSHIP'S VIEW
The conversation shifted from education to leadership when Elizabeth Price, Senior Communications Officer at IFC, interviewed Ali Mufuruki, Chair of Infotech Investment Group and a successful Tanzanian business and thought leader. Mufuruki cofounded the African Leadership Initiative whose mission is to build a better society for Africa.
IMPACT INVESTING MODELS IN EDUCATION: HOW CAN WE MOVE THE NEEDLE?
A panel discussed how innovative models for impact investing can expand access to relevant education for the poor.
INVESTING IN THE NEW EMPLOYABILITY AGENDA
What are the big opportunities and challenges for commercial investors operating in emerging education markets?
MOVING AHEAD WITH THE FUTURE OF WORK AGENDA
Closing panelists summarized key conference themes and the inspiring ideas they will take back to their work in education.
