The attention-grabbing exploits of generative AI have reignited interest in ‘human skills’. We nervously wrestle with questions of how we fit into a world where technology seems to be on the march and automation is accelerating.
At the same time, there is now overwhelming evidence that higher levels of essential transferable skills boost earnings, reduce the likelihood of unemployment, and increase both job and life satisfaction. Together, the case for building them has never been stronger.
The challenge is that too often we fall back into a comfort zone. We opine about the timeless value of transferable skills like teamwork, creativity, problem solving or communication.
We perhaps rebadge the whole set again – whether as 21st century skills, employability skills, or human skills. Then we advocate doing more to cherish and develop these skills. And then we stop.
Last year, 92% of adults expressed seeing essential skills as important to their work and lives – but only 14% of adults last year felt that they had received structured learning opportunities to build them.
This can be a confusing space. That’s why over five years, Skills Builder Partnership worked with more than a hundred partners including the CIPD, Careers & Enterprise Company, CBI, and Gatsby Foundation to create a shared model for essential skills. We defined these skills as ‘those highly transferable skills which almost anyone needs to do almost any job, and which support the application of technical skills and knowledge’.
We identified eight complementary but distinct skills: listening and speaking; creativity and problem solving; aiming high and staying positive; teamwork and leadership. And we went further still by breaking each down into 16 steps going from an absolute beginner through to mastery – making them tangible, measurable, and teachable.
Launched in 2020, the Universal Framework is the collective answer to the question of what essential transferable skills are and how we can build them, step by step. The challenge is now to do this at scale, and for everyone.
The Universal Framework is well on this trajectory – with more than 900 partners using the approach to support more than 2.6million individuals last year. It has been fantastic to see it being built into national and local plans, including London’s Local Skills Improvement Plan. The LSIP advocates employers, education institutions, and other providers working together using this shared Framework to move beyond debate and into action.
And the great news is that there are practical things that everyone can do right now to boost the essential skills of individuals at all stages of their life:
- For education Institutions, you can apply for our funded Accelerator programme for a complete approach to building essential skills for all learners, of all ages and stages or you can use our free online curriculum or self-led learning tools.
- For employers, you can explore our Employer Programme, or use our free assessment and training materials.
- For providers and non-profits, you can use the same free assessment and training materials, or you can join the Partnership to benefit from capacity-building training and a peer network.
- As individuals, you can use Skills Builder Benchmark to assess your own essential skills, and then use Launchpad to access short learning modules to fill any gaps and stretch yourself further – all entirely for free.
Transferable skills have never been so essential – and we can now act to ensure that everyone is equipped with the essential skills to thrive.
Tom Ravenscroft is Founder & CEO of Skills Builder Partnership. Skills Builder is a not-for-profit global partnership of more than 900 education institutions, employers, and impact organisations working together to ensure that everyone builds the essential skills to thrive. Find out more.