The more we give importance to Skill Development, the more Competent will be our Youth

Our world faces overwhelming challenges that demand the next generation of graduates be capable leaders with broad understandings of public life, honed skills of critical thinking, and the abilities to cooperate with diverse groups to solve problems and create change. 

Educators and workforce experts similarly often recommend that children need advanced 21st-century skills. Without these skills, they will not be capable to successfully compete in the global economy. They won’t be sufficiently prepared for college and work.

But what, exactly, are 21st-century skills? Are we just talking about computer and technology skills? And what decides which skills make the list?

In a continually changing environment, having life skills is an indispensable part of being able to face the challenges of everyday life. The dramatic changes in global prosperity over the past few years have been met with the transformation in technology and these are all reshaping on education, the workplace, and our home life. 

To cope with the increasing speed and change of modern life, students need new skill developments such as the ability to deal with stress and disappointment. Today’s students will have many new responsibilities over the course of their lives, with connected pressures and the need for adaptability. 

To stand out in this competitive world, a student is required to sharpen many skills and abilities which is not a one-day job. A student needs to carve out these skills by training every day and this takes a long time. These skills will be healthy not only in schools and colleges but also in creating a lucrative professional career. (1)

Skills required for a better future for the students:

There are two major aims in the world that pose a major challenge and many chances to the educational system. One is the world is changing from an industrial economy to a knowledge marketplace. The other is the upcoming generation brought up on the Internet, is very uniquely motivated to learn. 

In today’s digital age, the “Net generation” is, among other matters, accustomed to instant pleasure and use of the web for enlarging friendships, interest-driven, self-directed training; and are regularly connected, creating, and multitasking in a multimedia world everywhere except in school. (2)

In order to trigger and teach this generation, the school system must be reinvented to be responsible for what matters most. That means to fulfill the work – teaching, learning, and assessing in new ways. There are a number of skills, a student should develop for their bright future. Some of them are:

• CREATIVITY:

It’s no wonder that creativity factors into the list. This isn’t simply a valuable learning pursuit, it’s also important to success in school and in the workplace. For this purpose, Creativity Fluency is used in thousands of schools all over the world.

Why Creativity Matters: The global marketplace is more competitive than ever. Innovative products grow on an organization’s ability to create and present them in aesthetically delightful ways. 

Creative thinking and application grab consumer’s attention and ensures their loyalty. Presently, creativity is a common language we can all learn to express our passions and ideas with.

• PROBLEM-SOLVING:

As far as propitious lifelong learning skills go, this one is apparently the most important. Solving real-world obstacles with a process like Solution Fluency is essential to surviving and thriving in the present and future.

Why Problem Solving Matters: The world is developing and will continue changing dramatically. As such children will be solving eventual problems that we can’t even imagine yet. They’ll face hurdles that require skills to define a problem, design a suitable solution, and put it to practical use. 

Problem-solving skills support them to tackle anything from writing a shopping list to planning and recognizing their biggest dreams.

• CRITICAL THINKING:

The ability to think critically is a must for future achievement in a changing world. It’s about thinking individually, responsibly, and productively.

Why Critical Thinking Matters: The way they think about the world, ourselves, and each other affects more than just personal knowledge. It has a part in determining the future of everything and everyone and the whole world this is the “Ripple Effect.” 

It’s been a portion of many cultural philosophies for thousands of years, recalling us that how we want to think and act controls our whole world. We don’t have to be confused by it, just simply aware of it as it leads their critical thinking practices. (3)

• LEADERSHIP:

Understanding leadership is one of those useful lifelong learning skills that can improve people’s lives. After all, one who leads isn’t simply one who manages things. What a leader makes is to inspire, motivate, and empower. True leaders see the greatest in people and teach them to control their potential in all they do.

Why Leadership Matters: Natural leaders are an asset in any classroom and on every workforce. Anyone whose attitude shifts from “I can do it” to “we can do it” makes everybody healthy. 

It’s their freedom and willingness to take obligation for making good things happen, not just simply arranging things done. That’s why leaders see more, create more, and learn more.

• COMMUNICATION:

In the digital age, communication has changed beyond face-to-face interaction. We communicate using technology more than ever. Even so, whatever means they choose there are skills they can take to help them communicate more effectively.

Why Communication Matters: In school, they work in groups to deliver solutions to the challenges and problems they face. Interestingly, the students do the exact same thing in the workplace. 

The only way this can be done effectively is with excellent communication. Having communication skills indicates less stress, more productivity, and healthier relationships. 

• COLLABORATION:

This means being able to serve in groups that are both physical and virtual. It includes proficiency in communication, understanding, and leadership values. 

It also indicates being able to work with someone across the world as quickly and productively as someone across the room. This is why Collaboration Fluency is one of the essential fluencies being taught in classrooms all over the globe.

Why Collaboration Matters: Working in groups is a symbol of the digital age. Their classrooms and businesses incorporate teamwork into their everyday practices. As such, collaborative abilities have a stable place among the most beneficial lifelong learning skills all students should develop. (4)

• INFORMATION MANAGEMENT:

Information is about all things will be available on the Internet, and it’s alive and growing. In fact, according to VCloud News, about 2.5 quintillion bytes of data are generated online every single day. 

Moreover, this statistic is only connected to get higher as time goes on. There is so much out there that a skill set is required to decipher much of it and make it useful. This is what Information Fluency teaches us.

Why Information Management Matters: Dealing with information means the students can discover what is valuable and discard what is spurious or questionable. This is crucial for producing solutions and products that are genuine and useful. It’s also a feature of research and proper attribution of origins, things every good digital citizen needs to know.

• ADAPTABILITY:

As already said above, the world is developing. However, it’s not simply the world the students need to keep an eye on, they must also be adaptable in their personal lives. 

Life is fluid sometimes it’s a river, sometimes a stream, and sometimes a tidal wave. Learn to keep your head above all of it.

Why Adaptability Matters: The students deal with trends of every kind constantly. Business, technology, entertainment, communication, and lifestyle trends are just some of them they are going to experience in the future. 

What makes it more challenging is that all major trend can usually have several sub-trends of its own. Keeping up-to-date of these means staying informed and knowing when to take benefit of opportunities. 

As for life itself, it will always have difficulties, no matter how well things are going. Being able to adjust to change in all its forms keeps them constantly prepared to withstand and succeed no matter what climate they’re in.

• CURIOSITY:

Lifelong learning is driven by curiosity. Outside the rigors of school, there is no teacher or peer to drive us to learn and expand our mind. Cultivating curiosity is undoubtedly one of the most profitable lifelong learning skills they can have.

Why Curiosity Matters: Simply put, without curiosity there is no knowledge. Nurturing curiosity can lead to times where a learner says, “wow, I never expected that in school.” 

This is accurately the kind of reaction that indicates kids truly can fall in love with learning. As such, they’re the kinds of moments teachers try to create.

• REFLECTION:

As they learn, they acquire new skills and knowledge for different uses. However, none of that knowledge is any good if they don’t consider how it has helped them or others. If they are going to place their attention on learning something the students must consider the benefits of learning it before, during, and after the learning happens. 

Otherwise, they have engaged in empty learning for no reason. In any kind of learning, inviting reflective questions always matters.

Why Reflection Matters: Perhaps the most essential phase in Solution Fluency is the Debrief phase. In this reflection stage, students gain to own their learning. They look at the ways they achieved, and ways they could enhance their approach in similar future situations. 

Above all, they recognize how what they have learned has served their initial purpose for learning in the first place. Useful lifelong learning skills must involve reflecting on learning because it’s what provides learning the real meaning. (5)

Scope of skill development:

Learning a new skill will widen the opportunities, at the same time enable one as an individual. Skill development not only contributes skills in an appropriate area but encourages students to build and enhance networking, time management, communication skill.

For any kind of job, besides technical skills, employers precisely look for a different kind of skill in their potential employees. Whatsoever, the role of students may be looking forward to in the company, maintaining strong soft skills puts them a step ahead in the race and makes them a true professional. (6)

Employers frequently complain that students do not know how to effectively carry a discussion, and are unaware of the value of making eye contact, inviting questions and listening actively and lack of face-to-face communication. 

Through soft skills, students are trained on the importance of effective communication, stress control, and people management skills normally associated with achieving and living a better quality of life. (7)

Developing life skills is essential so students have a brief idea of what they want to do in life and basically keep in mind the kind of person they want to be.

Child education is more essential for their better future and also for the betterment of growth of any country but in some part of the world, there are a children’s as labors who gave up all their dreams for many reasons. To discover more about these children, refer:

Stop Child Labor

Health Issues And Economic Condition

Rules And Regulations Against Child Labor