Knowmad society: the “new” work and education

Purpose This essay aims to introduce the “knowmads” concept in the context of converging futures of work, learning, and how people relate to one another in a world driven by exponential, accelerating change. Design/methodology/approach A conceptual framework for understanding knowmad society is presented, with specific insight to how it impacts formal education systems. A summary of articles following this viewpoint in this issue of On the Horizon is presented to highlight key ideas and how the issue is structured. Findings Knowmad society is already here, but education systems seem ignorant of this reality. This essay highlights that in this issue, ideas, approaches, and original solutions are offered for further discussion. Practical implications It is too late to ignore the trends driving the creation of a knowmad society, and it has to be decided if there is to be an attempt to catch‐up to the present, or leapfrog ahead and create future‐relevant learning options today. Otherwise there is a risk of producing workers equipped for the needs of previous centuries, but not the kind that can apply their individual knowledge in contextually‐varied modes to create new value. Originality/value This essay presents a formal introduction to the knowmad concept, and calls for the co‐creation of a broader ecology of options for relevant learning in a knowmad society.