As the economy shifts, people and societies who are appropriately educated will tend to do best. The premium that society pays for skills is going to climb, so my advice is to get a goof formal education and then keep on learning. Acquire new interests and skills throughout your life. A lot of people will be pushed out of their comfort zones, but that doesn’t mean that what they already know won’t still be valuable. It does mean that people and companies will have to be open to reinventing themselves – possibly more than once. Companies and governments can help train and retrain workers, but the individual must ultimately bear principal responsibility for his education.
Predictor: Gates, Bill
Prediction, in context:In his 1995 book “The Road Ahead,” Microsoft CEO Bill Gates writes: ”More than ever, an education that emphasizes general problem-solving skills will be important. In a changing world, education is the best preparation for being able to adapt. As the economy shifts, people and societies who are appropriately educated will tend to do best. The premium that society pays for skills is going to climb, so my advice is to get a goof formal education and then keep on learning. Acquire new interests and skills throughout your life. A lot of people will be pushed out of their comfort zones, but that doesn’t mean that what they already know won’t still be valuable. It does mean that people and companies will have to be open to reinventing themselves – possibly more than once. Companies and governments can help train and retrain workers, but the individual must ultimately bear principal responsibility for his education.”
Biography:Bill Gates, the most influential technology entrepreneur of the late 20th century, was the primary author of the prediction-packed 1995 book “The Road Ahead” and is the founder and CEO of Microsoft Corporation. (Entrepreneur/Business Leader.)
Date of prediction: January 1, 1995
Topic of prediction: Economic structures
Subtopic: General
Name of publication: The Road Ahead (book)
Title, headline, chapter name: Chapter 12: Critical Issues
Quote Type: Direct quote
Page number or URL of document at time of study:
Pages 254, 255
This data was logged into the Elon/Pew Predictions Database by: Guarino, Jennifer Anne