Why do we wait until young people are leaving school to look at employability skills?
Businesses are struggling to stay competitive and complaining about the lack of skills the education system is providing (1) we need to be better prepared for the opportunities the 4th Industrial Revolution (2) is providing.
Key points for us in this PowerPoint
Some background
We’re always developing, especially if we embrace life long learning. We propose introducing our personal development program into secondary schools, there is already an OFSTED judgment for “Personal Development, Welfare and Behaviour” introduced in 2015 and recently re-inforced to include better career provision. However, it still tends to be overshadowed by the drive for grades, grades, grades!
Our evidence based personal development program (3) uses a powerful combination of mindfulness, emotional literacy and life coaching; it starts by building self-esteem, emotional resilience and self-responsibility. When young people feel happy and comfortable within themselves they are empowered to think for themselves and access higher order thinking skills (4). In addition, they are more likely to engage in learning, explore possibilities, accept failure and try again. Other outcomes support the Governments green paper, published earlier this year towards preparing the UK for exiting the EU, “Building our Industrial Strategy”. Two of its concerns are the lack of basic skills in education and the problem of regional disparity (5).
By starting early in secondary schools the new skills business are looking for become embedded by the time they leave school. The World Economic Forum (6) says skills like creativity; critical thinking, complex problem solving and required, we would add, inspiration and innovation. If we were able to engage the whole school, teachers, pupils and parents to work together with a comprehensive, cohesive and consistent approach, the outcomes would be exponentially beneficial to the whole local community.
Another outcome in the school would be less vulnerability. With reduced mental health, bullying and abuse issues, as young people will have the confidence to stand up for themselves and there’s a likelihood of additional savings for the local authority.
Taking the bigger picture, UK productivity estimates must be ‘significantly’ lowered, admits OBR. The government’s independent forecaster says average 0.2% growth in productivity over past five years is more accurate than 1.6% (7).
Recent research from Sutton Trust, specialist in social mobility for the last 20 years shows 88% of young people, 94% of employers, and 97% of teachers say life skills are as or more important as academic qualifications (8). Life skills are often referred to as ‘social and emotional skills’, ‘soft skills’, ‘non-cognitive skills’ or ‘character’. They are usually seen as distinct from academic knowledge and skills, however, they are increasingly thought to play an important part in learning, as well as contributing to children’s wider development, well-being and readiness for life beyond school.
Because of the personal nature of our program, each person takes what they need from it and incorporates all types of ‘life skills’. It is simple but not quick, as anyone who has experienced personal development, we need to create a structure of sustainability, manage progress and provide support by peer coaches continually.
The overall outcome could be – Britain can become a world leading innovator and market leader in the 4th Industrial Revolution.
Summary:
- People will be healthier, happier and taking responsibility for themselves
- Young people reach their potential and contribute to their community and society.
- Businesses become more productive and competitive and benefit from the potential the 4th Industrial Revolution is offering.
- Society becomes more interdependent and self-supportive.
If not now when?
Be a part of this exciting paradigm shift, if you are a Visionary Headteacher and want to transform the culture of your school, see this page. Or if you are a Business Leader who wants to transform their workforce and or want to sponsor a school as part of your Corporate Social Responsibility policy, please contact us.
Here is a good overview video (11.5mins) of the 4th Industrial Revolution and the world our children are going to grow up in:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=11&v=khjY5LWF3tg
References:
(1) Businesses struggling to stay competitive http://www.britishchambers.org.uk/press-office/press-releases/young-people-need-more-support-to-make-transition-from-education-to-work,-says-bcc.html
(2) The 4th Industrial Revolution https://www.weforum.org/about/the-fourth-industrial-revolution-by-klaus-schwab and a video (11.5mins) recommended https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=11&v=khjY5LWF3tg
(3) Canterbury Christ Church University evaluation https://developyourchild.co.uk/canterbury-christ-church-university-evaluation/
(4) Higher order thinking skills https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Higher-order_thinking
(5) Building our Industrial Strategy https://beisgovuk.citizenspace.com/strategy/industrial-strategy/supporting_documents/buildingourindustrialstrategygreenpaper.pdf
(6) World Economic Forum https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2016/01/the-10-skills-you-need-to-thrive-in-the-fourth-industrial-revolution/
(7) Productivity needs to be significantly lowered https://www.theguardian.com/business/2017/oct/10/uk-economic-estimates-significantly-lower-office-for-budget-responsibility-obr
(8) Sutton Trust recent research show the importance of life skills
https://www.suttontrust.com/research-paper/life lessons/
