Burnet News Club 2020-2021 | Issue 2

1. TALK IN 20
Teacher instructions:
Welcome to the BNC Talk in 20! We know that with
everything that’s going on, finding an hour a week
with your club might be hard. That’s why we have
condensed our Issue sessions into six 20-minute
bursts - designed to give you all the key information
you need.
Each Talk in 20 consists of an easy-to-follow activity
followed by thought-provoking questions. There’s no
need to print anything, just have the PowerPoint
slides for the session ready to show.
Issue 2 | The Future of Work

2. Issue 2 | The Future of Work
Session 1
Objective: to understand
what work is and how it
has evolved
PARTNER TALK
What is work? Create a definition.
Be ready to share.
3 MINS

3. The working world is continuously evolving and
changing. Throughout history, big events in society
and important inventions have affected how we work.
These things that make big changes to the way we do
things are called turning points.
Match the questions and answers together on the next slide.
10 MINS

4. What was the turning point that
meant workers began gathering
to make things in factories,
rather than at home?
1870
EDUCATION ACT

5. THINKING QUESTIONS
1. Which event had the biggest effect on work? What effect
did it have?
2. Imagine one of these events hadn’t happened. How might
work look different today?
3. A stereotype is where you assume that all people within a
group are the same. For example, “all cleaners are
women”. They are often not true! Which of the turning
points do you think helped to challenge stereotypes in the
workplace?
4. Do you think any stereotypes about who can do certain
jobs should be kept? Why? Why not?
See what other
people think!
Join the discussion
on the Hub and ask
your questions to
the experts.
7 MINS

6. Issue 2 | The Future of Work
Session 2
Objective: to describe
how business models
will change in the future
PARTNER TALK
Can you tell your partner three of the
turning points from the last session?
Feed back to the group.
3 MINS

7. PR ED IC TION 1
Gig economy
People will work for themselves or
for a range of employers and get
paid for multiple jobs (or “gigs”)
rather than having one full time job
with an annual salary.
For example, someone might be a
taxi driver, delivery driver and a
cleaner on different days of the
week. These people have more
flexibility over their work but have
less job security and fewer
benefits.
PR ED IC TION 2
Automation
Technology like machines, robots
or artificial intelligence will replace
some “low-skilled” jobs done by
people.
For example, robots can serve
customers and drones can deliver
packages. Waiters or cashiers
could be replaced too
PR ED IC TION 3
Remote
working
People will use technology and
online platforms to do their job
from wherever they want.
For example, instead of a person
going to an office for a meeting,
they might stay at home and
use Zoom.
PREDICTIONS
Experts have made 3 big predictions about the future of work:

8. Experts make predictions about the future by looking at what is
happening now. Does each statistic support predictions about the
gig economy, remote working or automation?

9. THINKING QUESTIONS
1. Which of the predictions will create the most
opportunities?
2. Which will create the most problems?
3. How could people adapt to, or solve, these
problems?
4. Some jobs “go extinct” as work changes and they
are no longer needed. Which “extinct” job would
you like to bring back from the past?
See what other
people think!
Join the discussion
on the Hub and ask
your questions to
the experts.
5 MINS

10. Issue 2 | The Future of Work
Session 3
Objective: to recognise
the current impact of
covid-19 on how we work
PARTNER TALK
What can you remember about the Issue so
far? With a partner, talk about what you have
learnt in previous sessions. Can you sum up
each of the following ideas in a sentence?
• Gig economy
• Automation
• Remote working
Feed back to the group.
3 MINS

11. COVID-19 AND WORK
Although the pandemic has had a huge impact on many aspects of life, this
Issue focuses on work.
Split into team A and team B.
Watch the film about workers on Roman Road: bit.ly/RomanRoadfilm
10 MINS
TEAM A
Spot examples of problems
they have faced. When you spot
one, put your hands on your head.
Pause the film to talk.
TEAM B
Spot the opportunities
they have faced. When you
spot one, fold your arms.

12. In the film, who was
faced with a problem?
Who was faced with an
opportunity? Who was
faced with both?
CHALLENGE
Can you use what you have seen
on the news or your own
experiences to explain other
opportunities / problems that
workers have faced throughout
the pandemic?

13. THINKING QUESTIONS
1. Which of the three big predictions might affect these
people the most? The gig economy, remote working or
automation?
2. What changes caused by the pandemic might become
permanent for workers?
3. Why might some people think covid-19 is a turning point
for work?
4. Has the pandemic made you think differently about any
jobs? Which ones? Why?
See what other
people think!
Join the discussion
on the Hub and ask
your questions to
the experts.
7 MINS

14. Issue 2 | The Future of Work
Session 4
Objective: to evaluate how
covid-19 will affect the
future of business models
and how people work
PARTNER TALK
What opportunities are workers facing
because of the pandemic? What
challenges are workers facing?
Feed back to the group.
3 MINS

15. COVID-19 AND
THE FUTURE OF WORK
Experts think that covid-19 will have an effect on the future of
the gig economy, remote working and automation.
Read through the statistics on the following slide and for each, ask:
• Is this an example of a problem or an opportunity?
• Is this about the gig economy, remote working or automation?
• Which people / industries are affected by this?
12 MINS

17. THE GIG
ECONOMY
REMOTE
WORKING AUTOMATIONProblemsOpportunities

18. THINKING QUESTIONS
1. Do you think the pandemic will slow down or speed up
the rise of the gig economy, remote working or
automation?
2. Might some industries face more problems / opportunities
than others in the future? For example retail or
manufacturing?
3. Might some groups of people face more problems /
opportunities than others? For example, women, rich
people, poor people, people with certain skills.
4. How has the pandemic affected your family’s jobs?
What about jobs in the local area?
See what other
people think!
Join the discussion
on the Hub and ask
your questions to
the experts.
5 MINS

19. Issue 2 | The Future of Work
Session 5
Objective: to reflect
on prior learning from
the Issue
PARTNER TALK
What’s one opportunity that remote
working brings? What’s one problem
with automation?
Feed back to the group.
3 MINS

20. A SHOW
OF HANDS
Share your opinion about the questions on the
following slide by copying the monster.
Have 20 seconds of thinking time for each
question before choosing your answer.
Be ready to share your ideas!
10 MINS

22. THINKING QUESTIONS
This Issue is about predictions that experts have made about
the future of work.
1. Is it ever possible to accurately predict the future?
2. Should we trust the predictions about the future of work?
Why / why not?
3. Why is looking for expert opinions important?
4. Look at this quote from the Roman Road film.
See what other
people think!
Join the discussion
on the Hub and ask
your questions to
the experts.
10 MINS
The pandemic has definitely
been a turning point for
work. But how do we predict
what impact it might have
on the future of work?
What predictions might
experts make about
covid-19 and the future
of work? How would they
make these predictions?

23. Issue 2 | The Future of Work
Session 6
Objective: to reflect on
prior learning from the
Issue
PARTNER TALK
Sum up the Issue in a sentence.
Feed back to the group.
3 MINS

24. SKILLS
REFLECTION
These skills are essential for any workplace.
They have become even more important throughout the
pandemic, as workers have been forced to adapt.
Reflect on how these skills will be important for the
future of work. >>>
12 MINS

25. Why is this skill
helpful for…
• Workers during the covid-19
pandemic?
• Gig-economy workers?
• Remote workers?
• More automation in the
workplace?

26. Why is this skill
helpful for…
• Workers during the covid-19
pandemic?
• Gig-economy workers?
• Remote workers?
• More automation in the
workplace?

27. Why is this skill
helpful for…
• Workers during the covid-19
pandemic?
• Gig-economy workers?
• Remote workers?
• More automation in the
workplace?

28. Why is this skill
helpful for…
• Workers during the covid-19
pandemic?
• Gig-economy workers?
• Remote workers?
• More automation in the
workplace?

29. • What job would you like to do in
the future?
• Do you think it will look the
same as it does today?
• If you could turn one of your
hobbies into a full-time job,
would you? Why / why not?
What are the most important
bits to communicate to
someone about the future
of work?
How have you changed your
mind about the future of
work throughout the Issue?
What do you think about the
predictions for the future of
work? Why?
What might be successful in
the future of work, but isn’t
guaranteed to succeed?
5 MINS
WANT TO KEEP THE
CONVERSATION GOING?
Join the discussion
on the Hub!