In the previous article, I have mentioned that the educational system is not providing the necessary knowledge and skills to prepare the stundents (future employees and entrepreneurs) for the current technological possibilities and challenges.

The problem

Respectfully for the exceptional schools, but the majority of the educational institutions are still using the same methods and tools as 10-20 years ago. What do I mean by that? The students are only learning how to use Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint (in good cases). I am not saying that these tools are not useful, but they are not the important ones to learn in 2025. Plus, the hands-on experience is missing from the curriculum, which is essential to understand the basics. The foundamental knowledge should be taught by their language, and I mean not their spoken language, intead of their interest level or communication style.

Possibilities and Challenges

The technological world is changing rapidly and the tech people struggle to follow the changes as well, so how can we expect the students to keep up with the pace by themselves? Average student is able to use popular social media platforms and applications on their smartphones, but they are not understanding the foundamentals of how these technologies work.

What foundamentals am I talking?

For example, how the internet works. Of course, I do not expect them to know the details, like protocols, but they should understand the basic concepts. What if they upload a photo on a platform where does it go, who can see it, and how impossible to remove it from the "internet". Furthermore to keep secure and strong passwords, use MFA and use different passwords for different accounts to decrease the risk of being hacked or exploited. Even if possible use a password manager to store and generate strong passwords. Do not share personal and sensitive information on the internet, and be aware of the privacy settings of the applications they are using. The list is long, and maybe I will write a separate article about them later.

Why should they learn these?

Simple, because they are using day-by-day these technologies. The internet is awesome, but still there are many vulnerabilities and security issues that they are not aware of. They should understand the importance of security, privacy, and how to protect themselves online.

Possibilities

The possibilities are endless, the students can learn new languages free of charge (eg.: Duolingo), they can find openly accessible resources to learn about any topic they are interested in. Learn new skills, and even get a job in most of the cases without any degree or formal educational background, because they know how to use the tools or they have the necessary knowledge to be able to do the job. Work from anywhere in the world, and collaborate with people from different cultures and backgrounds. Do the shopping, banking, and access the government services which are available online. I think we can agree that the internet is a powerful tool, and it can be used for good, so much more than just social media and entertainment.

Challenges

The internet is not a safe place, there are many risks and challenges that the students should be aware of. Cyberbullying, online predators, identity theft, and scams are just a few examples of the challenges they may face. They should learn how to protect themselves, how to report any suspicious activity, and how to stay safe online. What ecological footprint they are leaving behind, and how to be a responsible digital citizens.

Solution(s)

First solution which comes to my mind is education. We have to change the current educational system, and we have to do it fast. Each stundent which finishes the school without the proper knowledge and skills is a lost opportunity for the society. I strongly believe that we adult people have the responsibility to prepare the next generation for the future.

Each and every educational institution should rethink their curriculum, and focus more on hands-on experience, practical knowledge, and real-world applications. First of all, we have to teach them the foundamentals of how the internet and digital technologies work. Next step: the students should be taught how to use the tools and technologies that are relevant in today's world, and how to apply their knowledge in real-life situations. (eg.: AI tools)

The IT classes should not be boring anymore. I still remember when I was in school, that most of the class was so bored with the Microsoft Word and Excel lessons, they did not even payed attention. The few of my classmates who were interested, were dominantly boys, but the technology should not be narrowed down to a specific audience. Nowadays everybody is using somekind of digital technology. Newborn babies seeing their parents using smart gadgets, and they immediately catch up how to use them.

Let me tell you a personal experience:

One of my nephew was so little that he could not even speak or read, but he was able to unlock his mother's smartphone and play games on it and watch cartoons on YouTube. He was able to navigate through the applications and find what he was looking for so easily, like he was born with it. For minute, lets not focus on about parenting, instead the fact that he was able to do it, without any help or guidance. He learned it by himself. That is crazy, right? Immediately, I was thinking that ho-ho, we have to hurry and think twice how we teach our students and children.

I am blaming the educational system, but we have to take responsibility as well as adults, parents and guardians. Children should not access tools or the internet without any supervision, guidance or proper education. Most of the adults were left behind ages ago with digital technologies, so we have to quickly catch up the educational system and break the cycle to be aware and responsible.

Do you think that the educational system is outdated? Do you have any ideas or suggestions on how to improve it? Please share your thoughts with world, or contact me directly. I would love to hear from you and discuss how we can work together to make a difference.

Whose fault is it?

I could start to blame the education system or the government and maybe I should. There are not enough hands on training in schools and universities, and the governments are not doing enough to support SMBs in adopting new technologies. The European Union has some programs, but they are not enough and not well known.

Most of the people have smart phones and using the internet, but they are not understanding the fundamentals. How could we expect then SMBs to have a stable digital background while the majority of the people are not even able to use a computer?

How bad is the gap, right now?

The gap like I said getting bigger and bigger, while it is already huge. Because of OMISAI we are in contact with a lot of SMBs and we can see the difference between them and the enterprises. Many businesses are still using pen and paper to manager their operative tasks, like invoicing, inventory management, or even customer relationship management. Some of them are using basic software, but they are not integrated and not automated. This means that they have to do a lot of manual work, which is time consuming and error prone.

The enterprises on the other hand are using advanced software solutions, which are integrated and automated. They are using AI to improve their processes and services, which gives them a competitive advantage. This is creating an even bigger gap between SMBs and enterprises, which is not good for the economy as a whole. If not good for the economy, then not good for the people either. Usually the governments are forgetting the fact that SMBs are the backbone of almost everything. Sure, sure the big companies are paying more taxes (or not), providing more jobs (and layoffs), bringing more innovation which is true, we have many examples. I'm not saying the enterprises are evil, but they are not the only ones who should be supported.

What can be done?

There are a few things that can be done to help SMBs catch up with the pace of change in the digital world:

1. Education: We need to improve the education system and provide more hands-on training in schools and universities. This will help people understand the fundamentals of technology and how to use it effectively.
2. Government support: Governments should do more to support SMBs in adopting new technologies. This could include providing funding, training, and resources to help them get started.
3. Awareness: We need to raise awareness about the importance of technology for SMBs. This could include campaigns to educate people about the benefits of technology and how it can help businesses grow.
4. Collaboration: SMBs should collaborate with each other and with larger companies to share knowledge and resources. This could include partnerships, mentorship programs, and networking events.

The dark side of digitalization

Digitalization is not without its challenges. As businesses adopt new technologies, they also face new risks and threats. Cybersecurity is a major concern, as SMBs are often targeted by cybercriminals due to their perceived vulnerabilities or they simple left a door open. (Just check out the haveibeenpwned website for examples.) Additionally, the rapid pace of change can lead to confusion and resistance among employees, who may feel overwhelmed by the need to learn new skills and adapt to new systems.

These new digital solutions are helping businesses, their employees and their customers, ... and here comes the big "but": This could cause more layoffs. We already seeing this trend in many industries, where automation and AI are replacing human jobs. This is a complex issue, as while technology can improve efficiency and reduce costs, it can also lead to job losses and economic inequality.

How can we keep humans in the loop?

This should be the main topic in the next few months, years for SMBs, enterprises, governments, and educational institutions. We need to find ways to keep humans in the loop, while still taking advantage of the benefits of technology.

You can find many articles and discussions about humans require to feel valued, to have a purpose, and to be part of something (bigger). There a few talks about the universal basic income, which could help people transition to new jobs and careers as technology continues to evolve, but could also lead to dystopic world. We do not want that. As we all humans should start discussions together as community, because we are who is affected by these changes. From the business's perspective, try to rellocate human workforce to more valuable tasks, which are not easily automated or make impact for the business operations, employees and customers life and for the world.

The golden road

Just as with everything in life, there is a golden road, which is the balance between technology and humanity. This means that we need to find ways to use technology to improve our lives, while still keeping humans in the loop. Help, improve, enjoy the technology and reiterate on it. There are plenty of space to improve in almost every industry.

Conclusion

In conclusion, small and medium businesses are struggling to keep up with the pace of change in the digital world. This is creating a gap between them and enterprises, which is not good for the economy and for the people after all.

To help SMBs catch up, we need to improve education, provide government support, raise awareness, and encourage collaboration. We also need to address the challenges of digitalization, such as cybersecurity and job displacement, while finding ways to keep humans in the loop.

We need to find the golden road, which is the balance between technology and humanity.

If you think this article woke up some thoughts in you, please share it with your friends and colleagues. Start discussions about the future of work, technology, and humanity.

I wish you a lovely day and utopistic view of the future.