Interview: Future Skills: Learning today what counts tomorrow

28.04.2025

Every company has its challenges - but what if the solution is not created in the office, but in the classroom? The future doesn't just happen - it is shaped. And if you want to be successful tomorrow, you have to invest today in the skills that really count: Future Skills. But what does that mean in concrete terms? How can young people learn to solve complex problems, think creatively and take responsibility? And what happens when companies give them the space to do just that?
Our two experts Nina Mülhens, Co-Founder and Managing Director of DigitalSchoolStory, and Andrea Janßen, Project Manager in Innovation Management and responsible for the Youth Innovates project at Bayern Innovativ, talk about this. They will show how young people and companies can shape the future together and at eye level.

How do you specifically promote young people's skills at DigitalSchoolStory?

Nina Mülhens: We do this by not ignoring the students' world, but by consciously integrating it into the lessons. Our approach is not to ban social media, but to reinterpret it. Traditional school content as we know it is condensed, questioned and told in stories in a completely new way. We do this in twelve analog steps and over 18 school hours, i.e. usually nine weeks. The whole thing takes place in a safe space that is much more than a classroom, namely a real experimental space for attitude, creativity and community. And at the end, each team produces a 90-second video. In this way, the young people have suddenly created what they normally consume themselves. This creates something much bigger, namely responsibility, visibility and a real connection with people.

Do the young people find the tasks easy or do they reach their limits?

Nina Mülhens: Honestly: Both. Many young people tend to be reluctant or even insecure at the beginning because they suddenly have to take on personal responsibility. That's something they didn't learn at school before. Leaning back is not an option. Because each and every individual in the team is required to make their own contribution. This is exactly where the learning effect begins. Because the young people realize that they are taken seriously and that their opinion counts. This is incredibly motivating for pupils. What they find most difficult is actually developing stories. They are more inclined to simply memorize knowledge or string facts together. Reproducing content is much easier than suddenly telling a story that also takes place in their own world. I build a bridge from what I learn as content to what I experience outside in my world. That is totally challenging for the young people. But in the end, of course, it is also very powerful when a story can emerge that touches them and suddenly triggers them emotionally in a completely different way. At the end at the latest, when they have finished their video and proudly present it, you can see how much self-confidence and new skills the students have gained and how much they can and want to achieve themselves.

Ms. Janßen, how do you approach Jugend innoviert and what does it actually have to do with young people?

Andrea Janßen: Jugend innoviert is an offer for companies. They bring a challenge and we develop a workshop concept and then work out solutions for this challenge together with young people over the course of a day. The young people learn innovation methods, creativity methods and new skills from us.

How did you perceive the young people?

Andrea Janßen: The young people are incredibly open, positive and motivated. They think it's great that a company comes and shows them appreciation, that their ideas are important to them and that they are open to them. What they find a little difficult is that the problems are often complex. Here, of course, we support them and guide them. Another obstacle is that they quickly become judgmental. Many ideas come up and then either their own idea is devalued or that of others. We want to separate this, i.e. first collect the ideas and then start evaluating them.

Future skills: is this more of a buzzword or a serious trend?

Nina Mülhens: Future skills have indeed become a buzzword, but they are totally important. It depends on what we fill this buzzword with. After all, these are the foundations that we can lay for future-oriented education. On the other hand, we are also laying the foundations for the world of work. The world is changing so rapidly that specialist knowledge alone is no longer enough. We need people who think, rethink and, ideally, think ahead. This is where we start with skills such as problem-solving ability or digital sovereignty. Sectors such as communication are crucial for tomorrow and for today. And it's no longer just about imparting knowledge. It is much more important to learn methodically, socially and personally, and that is ultimately what counts for us today.

Which skills are important for you to supplement as future skills?

Andrea Janßen: Definitely the topic of adaptability. I'm thinking here of the buzzword "VUCA world": We live in a volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous world. We need to remain adaptable and also strengthen interdisciplinary collaboration. At school, we tend to be encouraged to be lone wolves, so that we can achieve a good grade. In the future world of work, however, it is important that we work together with other disciplines and also with other cultures. This also brings me to lifelong learning. I always have to keep at it and acquire new methods and new skills. There is also a certain amount of research competence: because you no longer have to keep the new knowledge that develops exclusively in your head, you can look it up.

Nina Mülhens: Exactly, that's how we want to lay the foundation. Namely by making learning fun. We ask ourselves: How can we get people to use the term learning in a positive way? It will always be with us and I think that's an intention that probably drives us both forward. We both want to spark more enthusiasm for learning again.

How do companies benefit from the targeted promotion of future skills?

Nina Mülhens: Companies that invest in young people today or work with young people are doing something very concrete for their future. Not only do they get to know the new generation and receive fresh impetus, they also take on a certain amount of responsibility: socially and entrepreneurially. At the same time, they strengthen their culture of innovation. It is particularly important to me to emphasize that companies learn to meet young people at eye level and not to judge them, but to give them a basic openness and trust. They need to trust young people to do something, as this will ultimately help their skills to grow. We need a great culture of experimentation, especially if we are thinking in terms of innovation.

What are your experiences with the companies involved in Jugend innoviert?

Andrea Janßen: We were told by a participating company that the young people are incredibly positive and open. They want to try out something new and get straight into it, where we adults might have doubts at first. They have a very optimistic attitude. This was received very positively by our companies.

Is there a basic skepticism or shyness that you experienced at the beginning of your projects and if so, how do you deal with it?

Nina Mülhens: We have to do some convincing at the beginning to get people to take this step and explore new avenues. What we sometimes experience is that there are still many traditional thought patterns. It's important to start small. It can become big, but you can also start small and feel your way around. When we accompany such projects and see how groups develop, how people work together and the dynamics that arise, then we see how much is possible together. At the latest during the feedback meetings, the company representatives or trainees who were involved realize that something good has been created. This initial skepticism quickly disappears and turns into genuine enthusiasm. I believe that the exchange is very beneficial for both sides, because we also have to break down many prejudices.

In your opinion, how can cooperation between educational institutions and companies be improved?

Andrea Janßen: On the corporate side, we simply need a certain openness. There needs to be an awareness that short-term measures are not enough. Both of our projects are aimed at long-term changes. You may not feel the big change immediately afterwards. But we are thinking about the long-term benefits, i.e. the future employees and managers. Such exchange formats are very important for this.

Nina Mülhens: I think it stands and falls with being a partner at eye level. It is important that schools also pick up on these real impulses of what is happening in companies. At the same time, companies should also be aware of this. After all, they need creative thinkers for the future, so this is exactly what needs to be promoted in schools so that it can have an impact in the company at some point. When we work together on these projects, not just for a few days, but over a period of several weeks, you can see how things change positively on both sides. It's important that we go into such projects with the mindset: "I pass something on and get something in return or have learned something from it and take it with me to develop myself further." This also brings us to the topic of co-creation, which arises in the process. Both sides learn from each other. And I believe that eye level is essential, because it also creates new keys to open the old locks and then leave the door open and no longer close it.

What personal message do you have for young people or companies?

Nina Mülhens: My message is to the young people: Dare to raise your voice. Because your ideas are so valuable and when people listen to you, they see what is possible. You have everything you need to help shape the future. So make use of it!
And I would also like to send a message to companies: Open up to the next generation and to school! This not only brings fresh perspectives, but also actually changes fixed narratives and opinions. We need the courage to do just that, and I'm looking forward to it!

Andrea Janßen: I can subscribe to all of that. I'm thinking of the quote from Steve Jobs: "Stay hungry, stay foolish." There's not much more to add, except: be open and stay open to new learning, for tomorrow and for the future.

The interview was conducted by Dr. Tanja Jovanovic, Head of Marketing and Innovation Management, Member of the Management Board, Bayern Innovativ GmbH, Nuremberg.