Z世代的经済关键抉择

CONTENTS How can brands respond to Gen Z's shiftingeducation and employment paradigm?Education costs are still high, demand for tradeprofessionals is surging, and young peopleare prioritizing experience over degreesand independence over traditional 9-5s. 5A new career andeducation paradigm School is in session, but thesyllabus isn’t 10Closing the Gap: Providingskills acquisition todaywill build more than justloyalty tomorrow 1.Work experience112.Upskilling courses123.Premium software &paywalled subscriptions134.Network-building events155.Educational partnerships andbranded courses166.Supporting passion projects17 While Gen Z is the largest generation in history,poised to become the most valuable consumercohort by dollar value, they are coming ofage in a challenging economic environment.The cost of education is rising while the gapbetween the skills employers need and thetools young people are given is widening.Society encourages fiscal responsibility, yettraditional education is more expensive thanever. We tell young people they need to beagile, but there’s a lack of infrastructure tosupport the transition to a world where, by2027, about half of all workers in developedcountries will be part of the gig economy. This moment presents a generationalopportunity for brands to build loyalty, love,and relevance with this influential generation ofentrepreneurs, creators, and lifelong learners. And while it can be easy to dismiss changesin employment and social or governmentfinding structures as “not your concern,” theseare the critical moments in which brands canbe cemented. The brands that young peoplelook to for inspiration, support, and resourcestoday will earn their loyalty for years to come. 18The opportunity is setfor brands to act as‘lighthouses’ for skills &knowledge developmentfor young people To build love and loyalty in youth culture,today's brands and businesses mustembrace transformation. This will require acontextual understanding of the challengesfacing today's youth. And it won't always beeasy — supporting today's youth in this neweconomic landscape will require brands andbusinesses to put forth genuine effort. Embracing brand and businesstransformation to build loyalty,love, and relevance by helpingGen Z thrive, in the gigeconomy19 A NEW CAREER AND EDUCATIONPARADIGM While shaping one’s own path isn’t a newconcept, the outright rejection of traditionaleducation and the ‘standard early career track’is. With creators and influencers, independententrepreneurs and part-time consultants allaveraging just 20-years-old globally, Gen Z hasemerged as the dominant force in this neweconomy. A result of having grown up withdigital technology including new ways to earnand hybrid work as the norm, they are not justconsumers but creators, influencers, facilitators,and entrepreneurs, driving the evolution of thecreator economy, which we consider a criticalsubset of the wider gig economy, and beyond. Despite the consequential risks associated withthe wider gig economy – job security, incomevolatility, and corporate pension and health carecontributions to name a few—it’s growing threetimes faster than the traditional workforce andis expected to number 80 million people in theUS and 400+ million worldwide by early 2025(World Bank). Critically, today’s youth aren’t justlosing the benefits of traditional employment;they’re also taking on new risks. Withoutbeing trained for the level of hustle needed tosurvive—let alone thrive—in the new employmentecosystem, many are left unprepared. Note that thedefinition andborders of theseterms is an activeconversation, withsome investmentfirms placing theCreator Economyin its own category,consistingof Creators/Influencers andthe industries thatsupport them.Regardless, bothcomponents of thisnew economy aregrowing rapidly. ↗22.5% The creator economy isprojected to grow at aCAGR of 22.5% and reach$529 billion by 2030 COHERENT MARKET INSIGHTS ↓5% Compared with theprevious year, freshmanundergraduate enrollmentdropped more than5% in fall 2024 atAmerican colleges anduniversities, the largestdecline since 2020 SCHOOL IS IN SESSION,BUT THE SYLLABUS ISN’T NATIONAL STUDENT CLEARINGHOUSERESEARCH CENTER +50% Over 50% of globalwork activities can beautomated today, resultingin a significant skills gap—the variance betweenskills that exist today andthose needed tomorrow For all the hardship it caused, the pandemicwas an indisputable catalyst for innovativelearning, expediting the move to blendeddelivery models for all types of education andworkplace upskilling. The increasing demandfor students, employees and freelancers toremain competitive means these new educationmodels and learning platforms will play a criticalrole in providing people with the latest skills andknowledge in an evolving business landscape. Another issue is that many schools anduniversities are not preparing students for thesesweeping changes, nor are they offering cleareconomic returns to students upo