The Evolving Australian Workplace

Active learning helps Year 7 students grasp the dynamic nature of the Australian workplace by letting them experience the forces shaping jobs today. When students debate, analyze data, and role-play, they see firsthand how technology and globalization reshape work in ways that aren’t always obvious from a textbook.

• Year 7
• Economics & Business
• 4 activities
• 30 min–50 min

Learning Objectives

1. Analyze how automation, such as robotic process automation in accounting, alters the specific skills needed for future employment.
2. Compare the advantages and disadvantages of gig economy platforms, like Uber Eats or Airtasker, for young Australian workers.
3. Explain how global competition in industries like car manufacturing impacts wage growth in Australia.
4. Evaluate the role of digital literacy and problem-solving skills in adapting to technological changes in the workplace.
5. Identify emerging job roles created by technological advancements and globalization.

Academic Speed Dating

⏱ 35 min·Pairs

Debate Pairs: Gig Economy Trade-offs

Pairs research one pro and one con of gig work for young Australians, using sources like Fair Work Australia. They present to another pair, then switch roles to rebut. Conclude with a class vote on net benefits.

Prepare & details

Analyze how automation is changing the skills required for the jobs of the future.

Facilitation Tip: During Debate Pairs, provide sentence starters like 'One benefit is...' to scaffold arguments and keep the discussion structured.

Setup: Two rows of chairs facing each other

Materials: Discussion prompt cards (one per round), Timer or bell

• Remember
• Understand
• Apply
• Relationship Skills
• Self-Management

Academic Speed Dating

⏱ 50 min·Small Groups

Skill Mapping Stations: Automation Impacts

Set up stations for sectors like retail, health, and agriculture. Small groups rotate, listing skills automation changes and new ones needed. Share findings in a whole-class gallery walk.

Prepare & details

Compare the benefits and drawbacks of the gig economy for young workers.

Facilitation Tip: At Skill Mapping Stations, circulate with a checklist to ensure students record both disappearing and emerging skills for each job role.

Setup: Two rows of chairs facing each other

Materials: Discussion prompt cards (one per round), Timer or bell

• Remember
• Understand
• Apply
• Relationship Skills
• Self-Management

Academic Speed Dating

⏱ 40 min·Small Groups

Wage Data Hunt: Global Competition

In small groups, students use ABS data to track wage trends in export vs domestic sectors. Plot graphs, discuss competition's role, and predict future shifts.

Prepare & details

Explain how global competition influences wage growth in different sectors.

Facilitation Tip: For the Wage Data Hunt, assign each pair a sector so they focus on one comparison before sharing findings with the class.

Setup: Two rows of chairs facing each other

Materials: Discussion prompt cards (one per round), Timer or bell

• Remember
• Understand
• Apply
• Relationship Skills
• Self-Management

Academic Speed Dating

⏱ 30 min·Whole Class

Future Job Pitch: Whole Class Challenge

Individuals brainstorm automation-resilient jobs, then pitch in pairs. Class votes on most viable, citing globalization factors.

Prepare & details

Analyze how automation is changing the skills required for the jobs of the future.

Facilitation Tip: In the Future Job Pitch, give groups a template with headings like 'Problem we solve' and 'Skills needed' to guide their idea development.

Setup: Two rows of chairs facing each other

Materials: Discussion prompt cards (one per round), Timer or bell

• Remember
• Understand
• Apply
• Relationship Skills
• Self-Management

Teaching This Topic

Teachers should anchor discussions in recent, local examples to make abstract concepts concrete. Avoid overwhelming students with too many statistics at once; instead, build their economic thinking gradually through guided comparisons. Research shows that when students articulate their own reasoning in debates or mappings, their understanding deepens more than through passive listening.

What to Expect

Successful learning looks like students confidently explaining how automation shifts job skills, weighing pros and cons of gig work, and using evidence to discuss global competition. They should connect these ideas to real Australian contexts, showing they can analyze rather than just recall information.

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

Common Misconception

During Skill Mapping Stations, watch for students who assume automation will erase most jobs entirely.

What to Teach Instead

Use the station’s job cards and technology examples to guide students to identify at least one new skill that emerges alongside the disappearing ones, like data analysis skills required to operate automated bread-making machines.

Common Misconception

During Debate Pairs, watch for students who claim the gig economy offers only flexibility without any drawbacks.

What to Teach Instead

Encourage students to refer to the gig economy fact sheet provided at the station, which highlights missing benefits like superannuation, and prompt them to address these points in their arguments.

Common Misconception

During Wage Data Hunt, watch for students who generalize that globalization always lowers wages in Australia.

What to Teach Instead

Have students compare their sector data with the global tech services sector example on the handout, noting wage growth trends and asking them to explain why outcomes differ.

Assessment Ideas

Exit Ticket

After Skill Mapping Stations, ask students to complete the bakery automation scenario by writing one sentence about a declining skill and one about an increasing skill for bakers, using the station’s examples as reference.

Discussion Prompt

During Debate Pairs, listen for students who support their arguments with specific examples from the gig economy fact sheet, such as Airtasker or Uber, and note whether they include at least one benefit and one drawback in their reasoning.

Quick Check

After the Future Job Pitch, show three workplace technology images and ask students to explain how each might change the job of the person in that role, referencing the pitch template categories like 'Problem solved' and 'Skills needed'.

Extensions & Scaffolding

• Challenge: Ask students to research an Australian company using automation and present a 1-minute pitch on how it retrained workers.
• Scaffolding: Provide a partially completed Skill Mapping Station sheet with some skills already listed for students to build on.
• Deeper exploration: Have students interview a family member about job changes they’ve seen and present a short report to the class.

Key Vocabulary

Automation	The use of technology, such as robots or software, to perform tasks previously done by humans. This can change the nature of jobs and the skills required.
Gig Economy	A labor market characterized by the prevalence of short-term contracts or freelance work, often facilitated by digital platforms. It offers flexibility but may lack traditional employee benefits.
Globalization	The increasing interconnectedness of economies and societies worldwide, leading to greater competition and collaboration across national borders. This affects industries and job markets.
Digital Literacy	The ability to use digital technology, communication tools, and networks to access, manage, integrate, evaluate, create, and communicate information. It is crucial for many modern jobs.
Skills Gap	The difference between the skills employers need and the skills the workforce possesses. Technology and globalization can widen or change this gap.