Oivallus project was launched in 2008 and now after three years the project has come to end. Coordinated by the Confederation of Finnish Industries the Oivallus project has sought answers to the following questions: What will the future professionals be like? What kind of education will prepare people for work in the 2020’s? I downloaded and printed the final report from the project’s website and took it home as a bedtime story.

As we have seen before, future is a big question mark. Finland is part of the global economy and has had its share in the impact of the financial crisis that started from Ireland and continued through Greece. Global economy has confronted recession before, so it is likely to say that economy is back to its growth with in few years. That’s why it is necessary to talk about future employees and the needs of the Finnish companies as well as the development of Finnish school system.

One sentence that stands out from the crowd is a metaphor that says “Future work life resembles jazz improvisation.” In the future we don’t have specific instructions for work, just like a jazz drummer does not have sheet music for an improvised solo. The goal is known but the end result can be reached in different ways. Improvisation does not mean that people should just close their eyes, step pedal to the metal and hope for the best. It means that work community can reach the goal by trusting one another, pulling in the same direction and playing it together. In the 2020’s most of the work is done in various teams and projects. When the work is done, people will leave the “band” and perform in another band that meets the new challenges or they will create something new.

How could we then develop the Finnish school system? Someone has, in his great wisdom, said that school exists only for the sake of school. In my opinion school exists for the sake of life. The cornerstone of Finnish competitiveness is laid in kindergarten and elementary schools. As the final report of the Oivallus project states “We need experimental learning environments that encourage questioning, testing, applying and carrying out ideas. Learning environments widen as schools open their doors to the surrounding world.”

What would be a better learning environment for example for English language or mathematic teaching than a company transacting foreign trade and being located nearby? Different learning environments could increase the youngster’s creativity and learning abilities. One of the persons interviewed in the report says “Why don’t people get out of the classroom more? Changing your point of view is an important skill in life and getting some fresh air is the simplest way to practice it.”