FULL LIST OF SOFT SKILLS

Recent research shows that soft skills can have a greater impact on an individual’s employment, earnings, and overall well-being than job-specific technical skills. In fact, employers globally report difficulty filling jobs because new recruits often lack soft skills. According to Child Trends, soft skills include “competencies, behaviors, attitudes and personal qualities that enable people to effectively navigate their environment, work well with others, perform well, and achieve their goals.” Researchers, educators and youth development practitioners use varying frameworks to classify the ‘most important’ soft skills. This is demonstrated by the multitude of names often considered synonymous with soft skills, including: non-cognitive, workforce readiness, life, behavioral, and 21st century skills (among others). Examples of the most valuable types of soft skills to youth and adult success are: social skills, communication skills, problem solving, critical thinking, self-control, and positive self-concept.

 

Positive Youth Development: What is it? And does it impact youth employability?

Results for Development

On Tuesdays, my colleagues and I take a break from assessing health and education challenges to strategize on the soccer field instead. We’re very good at strategizing, but we’re awful at scoring goals. Soccer, of course, is a sport that requires thoughtful strategy, but a game plan is not very useful without clear communication to execute it, the stamina to run across the field toward the goal, or the skills to kick the ball on target. If we’re going to score, win games and fulfill our goal of making the playoffs, we need that whole package.

Effectiveness and Sustainability of Social & Financial Education for Youth

Aflatoun International

The young people of today present unique opportunities and will confront unique challenges. To equip young people to take hold of these opportunities and meet these challenges, researchers, practitioners, and policy makers have highlighted the positive impact that life-skills education and financial education can have on children and young people.International bodies have stated the need for education in such skills,and a growing number of countries have strengthened the teaching of both social skills and financial skills in their curricula.

Measuring Soft Skills & Life Skills in International Youth Development Programs: A Review and Inventory of Tools

YouthPower Action

In recent years, as the evidence base on the importance of soft and life skills for fostering positive youth outcomes has grown, international youth development programs have increasingly focused on interventions that develop those skills (also referred to as socioemotional skills, transferrable skills, non-cognitive skills, and developmental assets, among other terms).

The State of Evidence on the Impact of Transferable Skills Programming on Youth in Low and Middle-Income Countries

International Initiative for Impact Evaluation

Young people make up the majority of the world’s population, and the majority of those young people are in the developing world (USAID 2012). Educators recognize that the skills a person needs to succeed in today’s world are more than just reading, writing, and arithmetic. Transferable skills are higher-order cognitive skills and non-cognitive skills that individuals can use to be successful across different situations in work and life.

The Future of Jobs and Skills in the Middle East and North Africa

World Economic Forum

Education and work in the Middle East and North Africa region will determine the livelihoods of over 300 million people and drive growth and development for generations to come. As one of the youngest populations in the world, it is imperative that the region make adequate investments in education and learning that hold value in the labour market and prepare citizens for the world of tomorrow. In addition, as the global transformation of work unfolds in the region, policymakers, business leaders and workers must be prepared to proactively manage this period of transition.

Five Strategies to Help Youth Succeed in the Digital Age

World Bank

According to the World Bank Development Report on Digital Dividends (2016), the rapid spread of digital technologies around the world is boosting economic growth and expands opportunities in many instances; but the benefits of technological changes are not evenly distributed to workers globally. For high-skilled workers, technology in most cases complements their skills, increases their productivity, and often leads to higher wages.

2017 Global Youth Economic Opportunities Summit

ORGANIZER: 
Making Cents International
DATE: 
Sep 27, 2017 (All day) to Sep 29, 2017 (All day)

The Global Youth Economic Opportunities Summit is a global convening that brings together 500+ leading stakeholders from 55 countries to connect, exchange, and collaborate. Now in its 11th year, the Summit is the largest convening of its kind in North America for the youth economic opportunities community.

Program: Applications open for Future Leaders Connect

British Council
CONNECT TO THE OPPORTUNITY TO DEVELOP SKILLS AND CREATE POSITIVE CHANGE THROUGH POLICY MAKING
 
At the British Council we are committed to developing future leaders. To prepare for the world ahead of us the next generation of leaders must be skilled, innovative and globally connected people, able to make and respond to change with effective policy making. 
 

Skills at Scale: Transferable Skills in Secondary and Vocational Education in Africa

MasterCard Foundation

Despite the recent economic slowdown, the majority of African countries continue to experience economic growth, rising trade and increasing inflows of foreign investment. Peace, political stability and good governance are also on the rise. Yet a closer examination offers a sobering reminder that growth alone does not guarantee equitable development.

Measuring Global Citizenship Education- A Collection of Practices and Tools

Brookings Institute & Youth Advocacy Group (YAG)

The idea of global citizenship has existed for several millennia. In ancient Greece, Diogenes declared himself a citizen of the world, while the Mahaupanishads of ancient India spoke of the world as one family. Today, education for global citizenship is recognized in many countries as a strategy for helping children and youth prosper in their personal and professional lives and contribute to building a better world.

Resource Type: 
Toolkit

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