Education is still relentlessly focused on preparing young people to pass exams. But this approach ignores the skills employers are now looking for, the skills that allow young people to navigate rapid, constant change effectively, the skills that encourage imagination, creativity, and innovation, and the skills that will develop an individual’s wellbeing and success.
Back in 2015, Dr Anthony Seldon spoke out about his belief that state schools have much to learn from the private sector, which is far better at preparing students not just with good grades but with “a grounding in soft skills.”
He recognised that state schools are “the victim of forces that compel them to focus on a narrow range of exam teaching.”
We’ve worked in soft skills development for almost 20 years, from when businesses saw them as nice-to-have, fluffy add-ons – and were consequently they were never addressed. Things have changed! But while awareness has grown, the problems produced by a lack of soft skills are becoming ever more apparent and pressing.
Is enough being done at a government policy level?
Not in our opinion.
Young people are setting off into the world of work without the necessary skills.
And they may not even be aware of this – not until they try to find a job!