Language, science and mathematics literacy, or so-called hard skills, are very important for students’ success in school and later in life. But even these are already proving insufficient in the light of the emerging demands of today’s labour markets and what is expected in the future. A World Bank report cited 28 studies that found the top five skills desired by employers were non-routine interpersonal socio-emotional skills (nearly half of the top five), high-order non-routine cognitive skills (30%) and technical skills (16%). In the future, a hybridisation of the skills required by occupations is expected – soft skills such as research skills, writing skills, problem-solving skills, along with teamwork and creativity, are becoming increasingly important to employers, in addition to technical and scientific abilities.
Education Tomorrow