Education must change to match the gig economy

By Christopher Lorensen

There was a time when the term ‘freelance’ was more akin to unemployed than to entrepreneur. In the last decade, however, the gig economy has made the idea of the freelancer more common place. The 9-to-5 worker is becoming the oddity while the freelancer is now seen as a reasonable profession. 

A study by Edelman Intelligence finds that about 35% of the American workforce is freelance today and over 50% of the most recent generation, Gen Z, is likely to work freelance in some capacity. That is up from the 30% of Baby Boomers and Gen X. The study also predicts that freelancers will make up a majority of the workforce by 2027. Good or bad, with that looming in our future, it’s time to make sure that we prepare not only ourselves, but also our children, for the gig economy. 

According to the study, about 90% of freelancers wish that education better prepared them for this kind of work. They point to soft skills as being equally important to technical skills yet our school curricula haven't changed to incorporate this. Take journalism or art, for example. These are fields that fit into the gig economy yet SAT or ACT scores are still needed to get in even though they measure aptitude in English, math, reading and science and not any of the soft skills needed to succeed. 

Historically, teaching these soft skills has largely depended on the quality of the teachers. It has always been assumed that quality teachers will support their students in achieving their goals — It’s just what they do. But if a majority of freelancers wish they had learned more in school, then perhaps it isn’t happening. The question then becomes whether or not it should be a mandatory part of school and if so, how should it be taught. 

College-level education, regardless of institutional prestige, has a habit of grooming students to be full-time workers. Teachers assign group projects to help students learn the value of teamwork while career centers focus on matching students to office-style work — both of which are becoming less prevalent. Additionally, many group projects skew the workload between productive and lazy students, and student jobs tend to have a lot of wasted downtime. Group projects should become an individual assignment so that the student gets the set of well-rounded skills they will need for the gig economy. Student jobs should go the way of the gig economy itself. Matching students with projects instead of full-time jobs will not only prepare the student for the freelance environment, but it will save the college money, as well. 

High school is normally spent expanding on knowledge learned in earlier grades. While general education is helpful, high school should be structured like a trade school. Students could come in for a mix of higher, core education along with a path to their chosen specialization in the gig economy. This allows for what economists refer to as the "specialization of labor." It is a theory that as specialization increases so does efficiency and productivity. Efficiency, after all, is what the gig economy is all about. Because companies want to complete a task as efficiently, they outsource their work. 

There are even changes needed in middle school. The earlier years of a child's life are their most exciting. Children are learning about all the possibilities in the world as they grow up and what their role is. It is our job, as adults, to cultivate that wonderment because without a passion for what you do, working freelance is going to be a living hell. Although it may not be ideal, most people can get through the daily grind of an office job even if they aren't enthusiastic about it. The gig economy, however, is different. If you don’t enjoy what you are doing in it, no one else will either. 

Finally there are the habits we can teach in the household to prepare our children for their gig and if you are freelancing already you are in a prime position to start. Time management and balancing work and social life are difficult in the gig economy but children will pick up on the habits adults display. Parents should have a separate location in the house where they work and have dedicated fun time. This is not only crucial to your mental health, but it shows your child good techniques for their future as well. 

Love it or hate it, the gig economy is upon us. Although many of us may be comfortable in a full-time job, our children probably won’t have that option. Learning how the gig economy works and teaching that to the younger generations is crucial to their success.