*When I was growing up, my parents told me, "Finish your dinner. People in China and India are starving." I tell my daughters, "Finish your homework. People in India and China are starving for your job." (* The World is Flat, Thomas Friedman)

Thomas Friedman's "flat world" has become the defining metaphor to describe the impact of globalisation at the start of the 21st century.

Fuelled by hyper speed digital innovation and the rapid emergence of the so called BRIC economies, globalisation is radically transforming our notions of where and how work can be conducted. As a billion new skilled workers join the global labour pool and more and better jobs become outsourced, what are the implications for our young people's education, career choices and well being?

What sort of careers can our kids aspire to in the future? What do you think?

Is all this talk about globalisation just hype or will it have a drastic impact on the future of work?

Is our education system adroit enough to respond to the challenges ahead? Is entrepreneurship the way forward? Do the creative and media industries provide our best hope for creating new jobs?

This event, being run in association with Centre for Enterprise and Enterprise Insight will bring together leading figures from education, business, public policy, the creative industries and media. The event will take a fresh and innovative look at what the future for young people might be like and how we can prepare young people for living in a "flat world".

The event will comprise a blend of expert insight and an open space format.

We will also be setting up a website for the event that will allow you to connect with other participants, post blog messages and begin threads of conversation that will feed into the themes covered on the day. 

Steve Moore

Director of Policy Unplugged