Why Does Nobel Laureate Esther Duflo Not Emphasize Skilling Youth?

In a world where skilling has given more and more emphasis, Nobel Prize-winning economist Esther Duflo shares a different perspective on students aiming for skills. Ms Duflo was speaking at the 19th Jaipur Literature Festival. She reminded young people that the skills they are working to acquire may not necessarily be the ones that shape their careers tomorrow in a rapidly changing world.

“The entire landscape is evolving so fast that the specific skill you are teaching someone will become obsolete by the time they finish their education and certainly by the time they enter the job market”, Duflo said.

Duflo said that the program students learn to comply with the present requirement of the job market, in order to secure a surest way to a stable life might deceive them.

With technology, especially artificial intelligence, changing how work is done, job roles are being reshaped faster than ever. A skill that looks essential today could become outdated in a few years, sometimes even before students graduate. When education focuses too narrowly on such skills, students risk being prepared for jobs that no longer exist.

Duflo urged students to think of college not as a shortcut to employment, but as preparation for a lifetime of decisions, changes and learning. The real value of higher education, lies in buidling abilites that last.

College education need to involve a strong humanities background, the ability to write, the ability to think and the ability to make decisions for yourself, she said.

These include learning how to think clearly, write well, question ideas, and make reasoned judgments. Such skills do not appear on most job descriptions, but they are what help people grow, adapt and stay relevent decades-long careers.