Bringing essential skills to life for our next generation
This year more than any, we realise that there will be an increased demand for essential skills sessions to be run in secondary schools as the focus on the need for post-pandemic employability life skills becomes ever more pressing.
The early uptake of this knowledge for students is essential for their wellbeing and confidence.
All of us, whatever we do, need some essential skills which go beyond the academic – to work with others, to manage ourselves, to communicate effectively, and to creatively solve problems. We draw on them as much as numeracy or literacy. Knowledge and good grades are of course very important but on their own are not enough.
These are the skills which almost everyone needs to do almost any job. They are the skills that make specific knowledge and technical skills fully productive.
Employers, universities and entrepreneurs require and value essential skills. It’s really important for young people to understand the relationship between their skills development and life outcomes in terms of their educational attainment, employment prospects and social and emotional wellbeing.
Following a careful review by [1] The Centre for Education & Youth, there is clear evidence that shows the link between essential skills and academic outcomes, workplace success, and individual wellbeing.
We are recognising the eight essential skills, using the Skills Builder Framework [2] developed by the Skills Builder Partnership, working with schools across the country, to build essential skills education into the everyday curriculum. Those 8 skills are teamwork, leadership, problem-solving, creativity, speaking, listening, aiming high and staying positive.
As a business dedicated to the early adoption of innovative processes that can help young people develop holistically, to improve their chances of becoming successful in securing a job in the future, we value the importance of showcasing these skills in schools via our Inspiration for Innovation Network. To that end, we are providing the opportunity for any primary or secondary school in the UK to request an online session for their students which will help them understand what essential skills are, why they need them and how to learn these skills or develop already partially learned aspects of the above skills set. The sessions can be tailored to the school and year group requirements and brought alive by our Inspiration for Innovation Network volunteer business professionals in the context of a working environment.
We hope to show our next generation the many positives to honing these skills and to understand that this type of learning is ongoing and vital to success in almost any workplace. If we take problem-solving for example, the ability to find a solution to a situation or challenge may sound daunting to a young person, but once put in the context of every day, it is proven that positive social and emotional wellbeing outcomes, including a reduction in bullying incidents in the classroom, reduction of symptoms of anxiety and depression amongst Autistic young people and improved social-efficacy are some of the positive associations.
The Automotive 30% Club is thrilled to announce that support from The University of Buckingham’s, Buckingham Enterprise and Innovation Unit will help us deliver these virtual sessions as part of our Inspiration for Innovation Network activities. So, if you have a connection to a school that you think would benefit from the uptake of our essential skills session please either email Danielle@automotive30club.co.uk or you can share this link with them to complete, and I will be in touch.
Article by – Danielle Humphreys, Inspiration for Innovation Network Manager
Source(s)
[1] The Centre for Education & Youth – How-do-essential-skills-influence-life-outcomes-3.pdf
[2] https://www.skillsbuilder.org/