What Are The Most Important Skills In The Future Workforce

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21ST CENTURY SKILLS ESSENTIAL FOR STUDENTS TO THRIVE IN THE FUTURE WORKFORCE

The last several decades have seen a fundamental shift from a manufacturing-based economy to a knowledge-based economy. Together with rapid advancements in information and communication technology, this has changed the skills required of our future workforce tremendously. This report serves as a brief summary of a literature review conducted on the essential skills that students of today ought to be equipped with in order for them to be ready and thrive in the future workforce.

Problem Solving & Critical Thinking
Employers typically view problem solving and critical thinking as the two most important skills that students entering the workforce ought to possess. This …show more content…

This includes the capacity to express thoughts clearly and persuasively both orally and in writing, articulate opinions, communicate coherent instructions and motivate others through speech. In an increasingly technology enabled workplace, both offline and online communication skills are equally important. This means that workers must be able to communicate professionally and confidently through email, social media, video conferencing, as well as face to face interactions. In the future workplace, workers can expect to face complex, multidisciplinary problems and engage in highly networked collaborations. Thus, one must demonstrate the ability to work effectively with a diverse team and assume shared responsibility for collaborative work to accomplish a common …show more content…

This means possessing the ability to easily access, evaluate, and create information through the use of digital communication and technologies. The future workplace requires one to embrace technology and integrate technology in one’s work. Thus, the 21st century worker needs to know how to make use of ICT to improve oneself and more importantly to leverage on ICT to produce quality work.

Cross Cultural Competency
In a globally connected world, cross-cultural competency will soon become an important skill for many workers in time to come. Organizations are increasingly seeing a diversity in staff as well as business partners. Collaborations across the globe are also common within organizations. The future worker must be able to work in diverse teams, transcend the differences amongst the teammates to build meaningful relationships and work together effectively.

In conclusion, the following skills are generally considered essential for students of today to be ready for and thrive in the future workforce.
• Problem Solving
• Critical