Technological innovation, disruptive industries, structural change, unemployment and improving living standards

Gosh, how can so many conflicting concepts fit into one title? If you go to the MoneyWeek issue of 31st October 2014 you will find all this (and more!) in an article by Jim Mellon, a well known money manager. For those of you concerned by the prospect of diminishing job prospects as artificial intelligence develops and takes over more and more processes, it should offer some reassurance; for those complacent about how the world is changing, think again. ALL of you should read it for essay material relating to structural unemployment, capital replacing labour, the impacts of this, and which countries/demographic groups are most likely to be affected.

And you may want some info on apprenticeships while you are at it:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/further-education/11216791/Apprenticeships-can-drive-UK-growth-says-report.html

Finally, why not think about your holiday jobs, and how you could use the experience not just to get spending money, but also to further your career prospects in the future:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/lifestyle/11214116/Why-teenagers-should-be-put-to-work-at-McDonalds.html