{"id":2008,"date":"2023-04-11T09:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-04-11T16:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/education\/blog\/2023\/04\/11\/preparing-students-for-the-future\/"},"modified":"2025-12-18T22:39:55","modified_gmt":"2025-12-19T06:39:55","slug":"preparing-students-for-the-future","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/education\/blog\/2023\/04\/preparing-students-for-the-future\/","title":{"rendered":"Preparing students for the future"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

According to a 2023 survey conducted by Manpower Group, 77 percent of employers report difficulty in finding skilled employees. Employers seek both technical skills and soft skills, including self-discipline, problem-solving, and critical thinking. In today\u2019s continuously evolving job market, it is important to prepare students with the skills they need for the future, regardless of their grade level. In fact, it is estimated that around 85 percent of the jobs that students will be doing by 2030 don\u2019t even exist yet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

College and career readiness is even more critical for some students. Research indicates that the life circumstances of students, such as income level, gender, and immigration status, have a stronger influence on their career aspirations and workforce outcomes than their academic performance. Microsoft\u2019s partnership with Department of Philippines is pushing past barriers to equity by enhancing the language proficiency and reading fluency of students to prepare them with the vital skills needed in an ever-changing global economy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Students in the Philippines often learn English as a second language because of its importance for future career aspirations around the globe. The Philippine Department of Education has partnered with Microsoft to incorporate Reading Progress and Reading Coach<\/a>, two of the Learning Accelerator tools, to help build the language proficiency, reading fluency, pronunciation, and digital literacy that\u2019s essential for students\u2019 long-term success.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Building reading and language confidence in the Philippines<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Watch the YouTube video<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Reading Progress can help develop [students\u2019] reading proficiency for them to be able to compete for jobs globally and locally.<\/p>\nAdolf Aguilar, Schools Division Superintendent of Bais City<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Reading Progress gives students the opportunity to practice their reading and English language skills, self-assess as they watch and listen to themselves, and receive customized feedback and assignments from their teachers that specifically target their unique literacy and language needs. Reading Coach then provides students with chance to correct their mistakes and practice accurate pronunciation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These solutions empower teachers to spend more targeted time with students, focusing on the key lessons derived from their feedback.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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With the help of the Reading Progress tool, [students] are able to explore how to speak [English] well. When you speak of the world of employment now-a-days, it is a must for students, for an applicant rather, to speak well.<\/p>\nShelamar Garrucha, master teacher at Bais City National High School<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Reading Progress and Reading Coach not only provide students with skills practice, but also build students’ confidence and independence as well as soft skills like communication and goal setting. Students in the Philippines take pride in seeing their accuracy increase. Over time, they have become more comfortable speaking in class and are empowered to take their reading progress and English language proficiency into their own hands. Longer term, Microsoft Reading Progress is supporting the students of the Philippines to develop the confidence and capacity to pursue their dreams.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Microsoft Reading Progress helps our digital learners to be equipped with comprehension and speaking skills that sound a native-like speaker. It gives them instantaneous feedback about their reading capability. That idea alone makes them more excited to read, to learn more about reading, and to be themselves… Microsoft Reading Progress, is a catalyst. It’s instrumental in helping us support our pupils towards achieving their dreams.<\/p>\nFranco Gablines, First grade teacher at Olympia Elementary School, Philippines<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Read more about how schools in the Philippines are using Microsoft Reading Progress to build confidence and enhance future ready skills in a global economy.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Accelerating the skills students need for the future<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Microsoft\u2019s array of solutions provides educators and students with the practice, support, and data they need to build the skills students need to thrive in the future. Learning Accelerators<\/a>, like Reading Progress and Reading Coach, are seamlessly integrated into products you already know and love like Microsoft Teams for Education, OneNote, PowerPoint, Word, and more. With these powerful tools, students can start practicing right away, and educators can start gathering data to help them get ahead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Watch the YouTube video<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Learn more about how Microsoft solutions can prepare students for the future:<\/p>\n\n\n\n