What Will My Child Do for a Career in the Future?

As a parent, you may sometimes wonder what kind of career your child will have when they grow up.

The difficult part is that many of the jobs today's children will eventually do may look very different from the jobs we know today.

Artificial intelligence, robotics, automation and other technologies are changing how people work. UNICEF's 2026 research into children's views of an AI-influenced future highlights the importance of transferable skills and preparing children to adapt as technology continues to evolve.

So, should your child become a programmer?

Not necessarily.

The bigger question is:

Are we helping our children develop the ability to learn, create, solve problems and adapt?

The Future Is Bigger Than "Technology Jobs"

When people hear "future careers," they often think about programmers, software developers or robotics engineers.

Those careers will certainly continue to exist and evolve, but technology is becoming part of almost every industry.

A future doctor may work alongside AI systems.

An architect may use generative design tools.

An artist may collaborate with AI.

An entrepreneur may build a business using automation.

A scientist may use machine learning to analyse enormous datasets.

A filmmaker may use AI-assisted production tools.

A teacher may use intelligent educational systems to personalise learning.

Technology is increasingly becoming a tool used across careers, rather than something restricted to technology companies.

South Africa's own Coding and Robotics curriculum recognises this broader role, identifying computational thinking, design thinking, coding, robotics and AI-related skills as relevant across sectors.

So What Should Children Learn?

Instead of trying to predict exactly which profession your child will choose at age 25, it can be more useful to develop skills that remain valuable even as individual technologies change.

1. Problem-Solving

Technology is excellent at performing tasks.

But identifying the right problem to solve is much harder.

Coding naturally encourages children to break complicated problems into smaller pieces, test solutions, identify mistakes and try again.

These are useful habits far beyond programming.

2. Creativity

The future will not only need people who can use technology.

It will need people who can imagine what to do with it.

Building a game, designing an animation, creating a website or developing an app gives children opportunities to turn an idea into something tangible.

The technology becomes the medium for creativity.

3. Computational Thinking

Computational thinking is not simply learning a programming language.

It involves learning to:

• Break problems into smaller parts
• Identify patterns
• Develop logical sequences
• Create systems
• Test ideas
• Debug mistakes
• Improve solutions

These skills can be useful whether your child eventually becomes a scientist, entrepreneur, engineer, designer or something that doesn't exist yet.

4. Learning How to Learn

Perhaps one of the most important future skills is the ability to learn new things.

Technology changes quickly.

A programming language that is popular today may be less important tomorrow. A new AI tool may completely change how a particular job is performed.

Children therefore need more than knowledge.

They need confidence in their ability to learn, experiment and adapt.

5. Understanding AI

Children are growing up in a world where AI is becoming increasingly accessible.

That doesn't mean they should simply learn how to ask an AI tool questions.

They also need to understand how to evaluate information, recognise limitations, think critically and use technology responsibly.

UNICEF's research into children's experiences and expectations around AI highlights both the opportunities and concerns young people have about increasingly AI-influenced environments.

Coding Is a Tool — Not the Destination

This is an important distinction.

Learning to code does not mean your child has to become a software developer.

A child might start with Roblox or Python because they enjoy creating things.

Along the way, they may develop logical thinking, persistence, creativity and problem-solving skills.

Those skills can then support many different paths.

For example:

Game development → programming + design + storytelling

Robotics → engineering + programming + systems thinking

AI → mathematics + programming + critical thinking

Web development → technology + design + communication

Data science → mathematics + statistics + programming

Entrepreneurship → problem-solving + technology + creativity

The initial activity is less important than the thinking and skills developed through it.

Your Child Doesn't Need to Know Their Future Career Yet

One of the biggest mistakes parents can make is putting too much pressure on children to decide their entire future too early.

A 10-year-old doesn't need to know whether they want to be an engineer.

A 13-year-old doesn't need to choose their university major.

A teenager doesn't necessarily need to know exactly what job they will have at 30.

Instead, give them opportunities to explore.

Let them build things.

Let them experiment.

Let them make mistakes.

Let them discover what interests them.

And most importantly, let them experience the satisfaction of solving something that initially seemed difficult.

The Future Belongs to Adaptable People

Nobody can accurately predict all the careers that will exist 15 or 20 years from now.

That is precisely why preparing children for one specific career may not be enough.

Preparing them to adapt to changing careers may be far more valuable.

Technology education can play an important role in that process because it gives children an opportunity to become creators rather than simply consumers of technology.

Instead of only playing games, they can learn how games are made.

Instead of only watching videos, they can create animations.

Instead of only using apps, they can learn how software works.

Instead of simply asking what technology can do, they can begin asking:

"What could I create with it?"

Give Your Child a Head Start

At Cheery Robot Academy, children and teens ages 8–18 can explore coding, AI, robotics, game development and creative technology through personalised, hands-on online learning.

The goal isn't to decide your child's career for them.

It's to help them develop the skills, confidence and curiosity to discover where technology can take them.

The future may be impossible to predict.

But we can help our children become ready for it.