In today’s fast-paced, rapidly evolving world, empowering young people to live successful and fulfilling lives has never been more relevant. The challenges and opportunities facing our youth have been amplified by the rise of artificial intelligence, which is transforming industries and shaping new career paths. The world as we know it is changing quickly, and young people need to be equipped with the right skills and mindset to navigate the future.
Katie Krais, Dukes Plus Partnerships Director
27 February 2025
Three major challenges young people face today as they transition from school to the professional world are crucial to understanding their needs:
The Future of Work: Navigating Unknown Opportunities
The World Economic Forum predicts the emergence of 97 million new jobs within the next five years, many of which we cannot yet even imagine. These roles will exist at the intersection of humans, algorithms, and machines. Key skills to thrive in this new landscape include digital literacy, soft skills, lifelong learning, and cross-cultural competency. Our youth will need to be adaptable and prepared for roles that don’t yet exist, which underscores the importance of providing them with a foundation in these essential areas.
The 100-Year Life: A Changing Career Trajectory
The concept of a "100-year life" is becoming a reality. In fact, a recent study predicted that children born in Japan in 2014 have a greater than 50% chance of living past 110 years. This means the traditional three-point model of education, career, and retirement is becoming outdated. Instead, we will see portfolio careers, with individuals pivoting and re-pivoting throughout their lives. The need for resilience, curiosity, and the passion for lifelong learning is more critical than ever before.
Mental Health Challenges in a Digital World
The rise of social media has coincided with an alarming increase in mental health issues among young people. A recent NHS study found that 1 in 5 students in UK classrooms were experiencing a mental health problem. This underscores the importance of providing holistic support to young people—not only to help them cope with challenges but also to teach them how to train their minds in the same way they train their bodies.
Dukes Plus is uniquely positioned to address these critical challenges under one roof. Here are three examples of how we empower young people:
Cross-Cultural Competency Through Diverse Summer Programmes
Each year, we welcome over 150 nationalities and nearly 20,000 students to our summer programs. This international environment helps students develop cross-cultural competency and enhances their soft skills, all while focusing on academic and career paths of their choice. These programs offer a unique opportunity for personal growth, global perspective, and practical experience.
Summer Boarding Courses, one of summer school brands, runs out of leading locations such as Oxford University, Eton College and Cambridge.
Career Immersion with InvestIN
One of our organisations run the only UCAS-accredited career immersive work experience program -
InvestIN. Students can choose from 15 different career options and spend 1 to 2 weeks truly embedding themselves within the industry of their choice. This could take the form of being on a trading floor for the investment banking programme, being on the hospital wards for aspiring medics or taking part in Computer Science programme. These hands-on experiences allow students to gain invaluable insight and make informed decisions about their future careers.
University Consulting Support
We house some of the world’s leading university consulting organisations, including
Oxbridge Applications, which has a 25-year history of supporting students applying to Oxbridge. We assist 1 in 5 applicants each year, helping them achieve exceptional results. Through this support, we ensure students not only gain admission to top-tier universities but also succeed in their future careers.
In conclusion, the world is changing faster than ever. Dukes Plus is purpose drive and fully committed to helping young people meet these challenges head-on. By fostering critical skills such as digital literacy, cross-cultural competency, and resilience, and providing hands-on career experiences, we are shaping a generation of individuals prepared for success in a complex, interconnected world.
Background on Dukes Plus:
Dukes Plus is a family of specialised consultancy services and educational experience providers, including the highest standards of university preparation, once -in-a -lifetime industry experiences, tuition, summer schools and day camps. Each individual organisation in Dukes Plus is a leading provider of expertise and support for students at every stage of their journey from school to career. It has an impressive reach. We are working with over 1500 schools and have over 5 million users. We work with over 100 corporate/university partners and support children from between 3-18 yrs with their educational journey. If you would like further information about how Dukes Plus can support your children please do contact Katie Krais, Dukes Plus Partnership Director at katie.krais@dukesplus.com or view our website www.dukesplus.com
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