I’ve just returned from a school evaluation visit.  One of the things I most enjoy about these visits is having time with schools to discuss their programme development plans.  In the case of my recent visit, the plan was about the ATL skills.

Many schools recognise that learning skills is essential – but the question remains WHAT skills – in a recent article I read that 35% of current key skills are projected to change.  This implies to me that the most important skills are those that transfer to what is needed outside of school – in life and work.

The Future of Jobs Report 2025 considers skills that will be needed by 2030 given projected changes in global employment, rapid technological advances, and economic instability.  The forecast is that 170 million new jobs will be created, but 92 million will disappear – as a result almost 60% of workers will require reskilling over the next 5 years – and this of course has a huge impact on what schools need to teach.

Jobs that require routine skills are declining, whereas jobs that involve digital, analytical and design thinking skills are on the increase.  A lot of this is being driven by technology such as automation and AI.  Another area of rapid expansion is the “green economy” with a focus on sustainability.  These jobs are linked to environmental science, clean energy and sustainable design, requiring skills of systems thinking and ethical reasoning.  And in this world of shifting economics and geopolitics, collaboration, strategic thinking and resilience are all called for.

There are demographic shifts driving these changes too – as the world’s population is aging there are more demands for healthcare and caregiving – these require more interpersonal skills such as empathy.  

In IB schools we have long recognised that it is not enough to master content – skills need to be explicitly taught and practiced, and woven into learning experiences.  Pedagogical approaches such as project-based learning and teaching through transdisciplinary and interdisciplinary units will help students develop transferable skills.  And perhaps most important of all, teachers also need to engage in continuous professional learning to keep pace with all these changes.

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay