Universities are very good at telling young people what they have to offer for jobs that exist now. This campaign by Thinkerbell and RMIT invites them to imagine what jobs might be there for them in the future and invites them to gain the skills that will fit them for valuable tomorrow careers.

The campaign’s imagination-triggers run from the likely to the fantastic, from augmented reality architect to social media therapist.

Adam Ferrier, co-founder and chief thinker of Thinkerbell, explained, “This campaign is about inspiring Australians to lean into their curiosity and dream big about what the jobs of tomorrow will bring. A world where you can be a space lawyer is an exciting one full of limitless possibilities.”

The campaign has seized upon the fact that the jobs that today’s young people will perform when they enter the workforce will be radically different – and some don’t even exist yet. The World Economic Forum has noted that 65% of children entering primary school today will work in completely new jobs that do not yet exist and its latest report estimates that by 2025, 97 million new roles may emerge that are more adapted to the new division of labour between humans, machines and algorithms. 

The creative concept is built on the understanding that some of the jobs of tomorrow follow a natural or intuitive progression, but others will require an unexpected merger of two worlds coming together. These include occupations like cyber security strategist, digital health designer, brand scientist and blockchain accountant. These are also jobs likely to excite young people excited by technologies emerging now.

RMIT Online chief executive officer, Helen Souness stated, “This campaign illustrates the defining moment in which we find ourselves. The world is only getting faster, accelerated by a rapid uptick in digital technologies that we so sharply felt over the past year.

“If Australians want to actively participate in the economy of the future, they will need more than an elementary understanding of new technologies, as Thinkerbell’s creative spark illustrates. Now is the time to embrace these future opportunities and orient ourselves towards a world where you can be anything from a social media therapist to a blockchain accountant.”