Youth being enthusiastic, vibrant, innovative, and dynamic in nature is the most important section of the population In fact, they have been agents of most significant social change.
In this globally and digitally interconnected world, all learners, from cradle to career, need new skills and knowledge to succeed. If we want to prepare our children for success in school, work, and life, opportunities to learn 21st-century skills are essential. These 21st-century skills are more important to students now than ever before. They not only provide a framework for successful learning in the classroom but ensure students can thrive in a world where change is constant and learning never stops. And they are also tremendously important for our nation’s well-being.
They not only provide a framework for successful learning in the classroom but ensure students can thrive in a world where change is constant and learning never stops. And they are also tremendously important for our nation’s well-being. Our business community demands a workforce with these skills to ensure our competitiveness in a global economy. And at a time when our civic life feels strained, we want our learners to enter the world with an understanding of what it takes to be a good citizen, one who can be civically engaged, critically-thinking, digitally literate, globally aware, and an effective communicator.
To thrive in today’s innovation-driven economy, workers need a different mix of skills than in the past. In addition to foundational skills like literacy and numeracy, they need competencies like collaboration, creativity, and problem-solving, and character qualities like persistence, curiosity, and initiative.
Changes in the labor market have heightened the need for all individuals, and not just a few, to have these skills. In countries around the world, economies run on creativity, innovation, and collaboration. Skilled jobs are more and more centered on solving unstructured problems and effectively analyzing information.
21st Century Skills for Youths
- Adaptability and Flexibility
The ability to change (or be changed) to fit changed circumstances is Flexibility. Capacity to be bent, usually without breaking. These are two very similar concepts and are often used interchangeably, or together in job descriptions. These two characteristics also go hand-in-hand with one another. Flexibility is the idea that your plans can change very quickly, sometimes with notice and sometimes without. As with most “skills”, being able to apply them is the most crucial part of showing an understanding of them.
- Critical Thinking
Critical thinking is one of the most important skills in the 21st century. Critical thinking is the ability to think clearly and rationally, understanding the logical connection between ideas. Critical thinking might be described as the ability to engage in reflective and independent thinking. In essence, critical thinking requires you to use your ability to reason. It is about being an active learner rather than a passive recipient of information. Critical thinkers rigorously question ideas and assumptions rather than accepting them at face value. They will always seek to determine whether the ideas, arguments and findings represent the entire picture and are open to finding that they do not. Critical thinkers will identify, analyze and solve problems systematically rather than by intuition or instinct.
- Emotional Intelligence
Closely linked to leadership is another skill that is even more important in uncertain and challenging times: Emotional Intelligence (EQ). The ability to be aware of, express, and control our emotions and be aware of others’ emotions is what emotional intelligence is all about. At times when people might feel uncertain about their job and the future of their business, it is key to connect with people on an emotional level. Individuals with strong EQ will be coveted by organizations of all sizes and in all industries.
- Creativity & Innovation
We have already seen the importance of creativity and innovation during the pandemic. Businesses that have been able to come up with ways to deliver services virtually (like many healthcare providers have done) or quickly shift to new products have been able to better weather the storm. In a post-coronavirus world, we will need human ingenuity to invent, dream up new products and ways of working. Human creativity is going to be essential.
- Digital And Coding Skills
The digital transformation of organizations got a boost because of coronavirus; therefore, professionals with digital skills, including coding, web development, and digital marketing, will become even more important than they are now. People who can keep the digital business running and thriving during economic downturns or pandemics that make in-person business impossible or less efficient are going to be on the must-hire list. And, basically, All companies are now digitally based in some way, so the opportunities to put digital skills to work are countless.
- Leadership
One of the changes in a world that is heavily augmented by the support of machines and where social distancing and home working might continue for the foreseeable future, is that more people at all levels of an organization will be in a position where they lead others. The gig economy is only going to grow post coronavirus, and people will be working in more fluent teams where people are taking the lead at different times. Professionals with strong skills in leadership, including how to bring out the best and inspire teams as well as encourage collaboration, will be in demand.
- Communication Skills
Being able to communicate effectively is the most important of all life skills. It is what enables us to pass information to other people and to understand what is said to us. You only have to watch a baby listening intently to its mother and trying to repeat the sounds that she makes to understand how fundamental the urge to communicate is.