Prepared for Tomorrow, Positioned for the Years Ahead
With the technological advancements that AI has brought, we continue to consider how we best prepare our students for life beyond school. Recent insights from the World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report 2025 offer a timely perspective on the skills and character traits that will shape their future success.
Future-Ready Students: What Employers Are Really Looking For
As the world of work continues to evolve, the Future of Jobs Report 2025 from the World Economic Forum offers timely insights into the skills and character traits employers will value most in the years ahead. For educators and families, this is a powerful reminder that preparing students for life beyond school means more than academic achievement—it means nurturing the whole person.
The report, based on feedback from over 1,000 global employers, identifies the top skills expected to be essential by 2025. As shown in the graph below, employers are looking for more than technical know-how. Analytical thinking, resilience, leadership, and creative thinking top the list—but so do deeply human qualities like empathy, active listening, motivation, and self-awareness.
These traits reflect a growing demand for moral virtues in the workplace. Employers want team members who are not only capable but also trustworthy, adaptable, and self-aware. In other words, character counts.
This is where College life plays a vital role. By fostering virtues such as integrity, perseverance, humility, and service, we prepare students not just for jobs, but for meaningful lives. Programs that encourage leadership, community service, and reflective learning help students build the inner strength and interpersonal skills that employers—and society—need.
As we look to the future, as a College we will continue to champion a holistic education that balances academic rigour with character development. The workplace of tomorrow will be shaped by technology – but will thrive on the strength of good people
Preparing for the Years 7–10 Exam Block
As our Years 7–10 students approach their upcoming exam block, this is a valuable time for them to demonstrate the skills, knowledge, and understanding they have developed throughout the year. Examinations are not just about recalling information—they help students consolidate their learning, build academic discipline, and develop confidence in articulating what they know.
Just as importantly, these assessments provide an opportunity to strengthen exam etiquette and technique, fostering habits of focus, time management, and composure under pressure. Developing a healthy resilience in these moments prepares students for future academic and life challenges – whether in senior studies, university, or the workplace.
We encourage all students to approach this season with diligence and balance, using it as an opportunity to reflect on progress and to finish the year well.
A Reflection on the 7 Habits of Ineffective Teens (Thriving in the HSC)
As part of our recent presentation to the parents and carers of the new Year 12 cohort, we explored Sean Covey’s 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens (his father Stephen R. Covey is the author of the internationally acclaimed book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People). It is a framework that, while tongue-in-cheek in title, offers valuable insights into the behaviours that can hinder growth, especially during the senior years of study.
The habits Covey outlines are not just about poor time management or procrastination. They reflect deeper patterns of thinking and decision-making that can affect a young person’s wellbeing, relationships, and academic progress. They include:
- Reacting impulsively rather than responding thoughtfully.
- Living without clear goals, drifting through tasks without purpose.
- Putting first things last, allowing distractions to take priority.
- Thinking win-lose, seeing others’ success as a threat.
- Speaking before listening, missing opportunities for understanding.
- Avoiding collaboration, resisting teamwork and shared responsibility.
- Neglecting self-care, pushing through without rest or reflection.
As students enter their final years of schooling, these habits serve as cautionary markers. But more importantly, they invite us to consider the virtues that counteract them: patience, purpose, discipline, generosity, humility, cooperation, and balance.
These are not just academic tools—they are character traits. And they are cultivated not only in classrooms, but in homes, conversations, and moments of challenge. As a College, we are committed to nurturing these virtues alongside academic excellence, knowing that the educational journey is as much about personal growth as it is about results.
We thank all parents and carers who joined us for the Thriving in the HSC evening, and we look forward to walking alongside you and your children in the year ahead.
God bless,
Mr Steve Owen
Deputy Principal – Head of Senior School
