Samsung Launches Unique Educational Experience to Prepare Young People for the Workplace of the Future

LONDON, UK – 7^th October 2019: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd today launches a new educational experience – Not a School – which brings young people together to address pressing issues and create solutions, whilst learning vital skills needed for the workplace of the future that will be transformed by rapid innovations in technology.

The UK initiative forms a part of Samsung’s global commitment to education and citizenship efforts¹; helping equip the next generation of innovators with the skills needed to pioneer positive social change. The free, four-week program is designed for 18 to 25-year-old school graduates and has been co-created with a collective of inspiring young people. It features a diverse group of unorthodox teachers, whose areas of expertise range from art to activism, and from comedy to inclusion.

The program will be overseen by award-winning course leader, Charlie Dark: DJ, creative influencer, poet and founder of the running community ‘Run Dem Crew’. Course mentors, experts and speakers include comedian, Reuben Christian; photographer, Andriana Lagoudes; film maker, Lawrence Lartley and writer, Jodi A Bickley.

Course leader, Charlie Dark said, “I’m proud to be leading a truly eclectic and inspiring group of people – from writers, podcasters and photographers, to entrepreneurs and entertainers. A feast of inspiration and learning lies ahead for our students and I can’t wait to hear what they really care about and how they can be practically supported to do something about that. Taking action always needs a little spark to get you going, and I hope Samsung’s Not a School can provide that. I’m excited to see how our young people respond and what they can create, be it a piece of music or artwork they think can change the world, or a solution that uses technology in a new way.”

Each week, Not a School will take on a new theme: making the world more compassionate; making sustainability personal; humanising technology; and building an inclusive London.

The themes have been co-designed with young people to ensure those taking part are learning and applying skills to issues that resonate with their passions and which they believe will become most important in the future. They might find themselves debating the ethics and opportunities of AI, thinking up new creative ways to re-use tech packaging or figuring out how to make the online world kinder.

Current estimates suggest 2 out of 3 of today’s schoolchildren will have a job in the future which doesn’t exist today, while 1 in 4 adults already feel that the skills they have today do not match the skills they really need for their job².

Additional new data from Samsung reveals that just 4 in 10 (40%) of Gen Z believe their formal education at school or university has fully prepared them for the future workplace and more than three quarters (77%) believe technology companies have a role to play in education, helping equip them for the future³.

The first 40 young people set to take part in this innovative program secured their spaces based on their community efforts, goals and creative applications, and will begin their experience today at Samsung’s new showcase space, Samsung KX, a dynamic community hub in London’s King’s Cross that brings together culture, learning and innovation.

Speaking of the program, Kate Beaumont, Director Innovation, Technology & Services Strategy at Samsung, said: “In an age defined by rapid technological innovation and change, the ability to solve problems in new ways will be critical for the next generation, not only to adapt and survive, but to thrive and excel as global citizens. Our formal educational institutions do a brilliant job, so we want Not A School to add something extra and different. We want it to make a major contribution to the way the world thinks about education and provide the skills young people need to succeed in the next 50 years. The Samsung KX launch is just the beginning:  our ambition in 2020 is that we can invite young people from across the UK to take part in Not a school.”

Tess Smillie,VP People Team, Samsung UK&I, added: “We truly believe in the remarkable potential of the next generation to reach new heights of innovation, and to develop society-changing solutions, and we’re committed to helping them achieve this through education and programmes like Not a School. As a business and as a sector we need to invest in nurturing future talent who feel empowered to challenge the status quo and are driven by a desire to push the boundaries, innovate, bring about positive change and to help build a better world.”

Not a School has been created with guidance from its Youth Advisory Board and is supported by youth, culture and education groups, including: Camden People’s Theatre; White Hat; London Borough of Culture; Camden Giving; Roundhouse; and IntoUniversity.

For further information, visit: www.samsung.com/uk/notaschool

¹In 2018, Samsung Electronics invested over KRW 409 billion or about US$34 million in global citizenship efforts of ‘Enabling People’ and commitment to Education for Future Generations.

²The Future of Jobs Report: World Economic Forum

³Samsung commissioned independent market research company Censuswide to survey a nationally representative sample of 2,000 UK adults aged between 18 and 25.