Members of Generation Z believe that technology will play a key role in supporting a sustainable future, and that governments and the education system could do more to prepare them with the necessary skills, a survey by Dell Technologies has found.
The survey of 15,000 people between the ages of 18 and 26 in 15 countries yielded much about the cohort’s attitudes toward the ability of institutions to tackle urgent problems that they face and will continue to face as they age.
Top of mind are the environment, and the need for technology and government to work in tandem.
Almost two-thirds of the respondents said that technology will play an important role in the fight against the climate crisis. They also said that government has a role to play in addressing this crisis. Asked to list the top three areas for governments to prioritize, 42 percent said sustainable energy, 39 percent said enabling a circular economy (an economy that reduces waste by keeping materials, products and services in circulation longer) and 29 percent said more sustainable public transportation.
Almost half (47 percent) of the respondents said they would be willing to accept short-term economic limitations to enable policymakers to invest in a longer-term strategy that promotes green growth.
More than one-third said that the education they received did not provide the technology skills that they need, with 44 percent saying that schools and businesses should work together to bridge the digital skills gap. While 56 percent claimed to have received basic or no digital skills training in their educational careers, 36 percent said that they plan to keep acquiring new digital skills to ensure continuous employment.
Health care featured prominently in the survey. More than half (56 percent) believe that enhanced government investments in health care should be a top priority. And 38 percent said that they put off making a health appointment in the past two years. Twenty-four percent blamed long telephone wait times for this delay, and 21 percent said that the inability to book appointments online was to blame.
“It’s clear that Gen Z see technology as pivotal for their future prosperity. It is now up to us—leading technology providers, governments, and the public sector—to work together and set them up for success by improving the quality and access to digital learning,” Aongus Hegarty, president of international markets at Dell Technologies, said in a statement, Fast Company reported. “Forty-four percent of Gen Z feel educators and businesses should work together to bridge the digital skills gap, and with the speed at which technology continues to evolve, this will require constant collaboration.”