Students must learn to innovate to hold off the robots

Hack in a Box teaches youngsters how to think creatively and make a pitch.

Amantha Imber says Hack in a Box is getting international interest.

As robots become increasingly sophisticated, a dystopic future where machines have usurped ­humans in the workforce is beginning to seem a lot closer to fact than fiction.

So how can teachers equip their students with the necessary skills to survive in an increasingly competitive job market?

According to Amantha Imber, founder and chief executive of innovation consultancy firm Inventium, there is one thing that separates people from robots: innovation.

The creator of Australia’s first in-classroom innovation training program, Hack in a Box, Imber promises to “future-proof” students by teaching them the skills necessary to succeed in a brave new world.

Imber, who studied organisational psychology and completed a PhD in “understanding how people think”, has developed a six-session program that uses a “evidence-based methodology proven to drive innovation in students”.

The program arms students with innovation techniques that have been taught to organisations all over the world, such as Google, Disney and Lego.

“With the rise of robotics, the ability to think innovatively and creatively will be the primary skill employers are looking for,” Imber says. “We thought ‘wouldn’t it be great if we could let students grow instead of knocking the creativity out of them?’

“The skills learned will ensure students are ready for the jobs of the future, where the ability to think critically and creatively is a must-have for employers.”

Hack in a Box invites primary and high school students to solve a real-world challenge, given to them by one of Australia’s biggest companies, which Imber says makes “it easier for teachers to teach students how to be great ­innovators”.

“It’s really exciting for students as it invites them to solve challenges from companies they’ve heard of.’’

Some clients who have been involved with the program include Australian film production company Village Roadshow and airline Virgin Australia.

In the program, students learn Inventium’s evidence-based tools, which help them to think more creatively, to come up with new ideas and to apply best practice customer research techniques.

The students then prepare and deliver a pitch back to the company that set them the challenge.

Imber says “the feedback from the schools has been fantastic. The students have all said that the program is so different to what they are used to doing at school.

“They love the fact there is no such thing as a wrong answer. It’s about creativity and figuring out what’s possible.”

The rise of automation is unavoidable but Imber says more changes need to be made in schools across Australia.

“The world in which these students are growing up is being disrupted left, right and centre,” she says.

“It’s essential that school curriculums change to adapt to follow how ­organisations and technology are moving too.

“There needs to be a remapping of what is taught at schools. It can’t just be about memorising facts for a test. Students need to focus on real projects, which have application in real life.

“If schools can turn students into real, creative problem-solvers, they will be much better equipped to survive.”

Hack in a Box was originally intended for young women but Imber quickly realised innovation skills were essential and attractive to both sexes.

“Our original mission was to create the next big female entrepreneurs, but when we noticed a huge demand from co-ed schools, we realised it was better to get these tools out as far and as wide as possible,” she says.

Hack in a Box, which launched in term three this year after six months of finessing the program, has been adopted by about 30 schools across Australia.

“The most popular year group has been years 9 and 10, but a few Year 5 and 6 students have done it too.’’

Hack in a Box is offered only in Australia but Imber says she has received inquiries from schools internationally.

“Even a few schools in America, Africa and the UK have approached us to be involved,” Imber says.

“It’s very exciting.”