What are future focused skills?

1. Real-life problem solving: due to the many challenges that students will face in their future, they will need to be able to understand what the problem is, what caused it and what it’s various impacts are. They will need to be able evaluate the effectiveness of existing solutions and/ or propose new solutions. They will need to be able to take action in order to make an impact and then reflect on this. 
2. Creativity: ‘you cannot solve problems with the same level of thinking that created it’ - Albert Einstein. Students will need to design and construct new knowledge and ideas, and they will need to be able to make connections between different/ unrelated concepts in order to create something new. They will also need to be creative in terms of design and aesthetics, which is a field that will not easily be replicated by AI. Creativity will also continue to be important in terms of how ideas are communicated or marketed, and designing emotional experiences for people through various art forms. 
3. A growth mindset: this is integral to becoming more resilient and being a life-long learner, as well as being an important part of good mental health. Students will need to learn how to let go of limiting beliefs so that they are able to face challenges, be flexible, adapt to new situations, and achieve their full potentials so that they can make their maximum contribution to society. To do this they need to be provided with a safe environment in which they feel comfortable to take risks and ‘fail’, as well as an environment that challenges and inspires them to set learning goals that will help them reach their full potential. 
4. Self-regulation: companies don’t want to employ people that have to be ‘micro-managed’ anymore, instead they want employees that can manage their own time, take the initiative, set and meet their own goals without being ‘pushed’ to do so. Students need the opportunity to develop this in school, therefore teachers need to take a step back and allow some scope for students to set their own learning goals and manage and monitor their own time, and self-evaluate their performance. Less spoon-feeding, more self-responsibility. The principle of ‘visible learning’ is an important part of this. 
5. Collaboration: this is an important part of problem solving as it allows for different perspectives and ideas to come together, which could lead to new creative and innovative solutions. However, collaborating doesn’t come easily to everyone, and it is a skill that needs to be learnt.
6. Technological skills: technology is a fact of life, and knowing how to use it appropriately, responsibly and efficiently will continue to be critical. What is important however, is that new technology is not merely used to replace old technologies to deliver or record content (such as using a laptop instead of a notepad, or a projector in place of a chalkboard). Rather it is used to enhance/ liberate learning and collaboration/ connection, to allow for new ideas and knowledge to be constructed, and in the acquirement and development of new skills. Students also need the opportunity and the guidance to learn how to achieve balance with technology so that it doesn’t affect mental health or social skills. 
7. Communication: being able to clearly and appropriately communicate findings or ideas in a way that will get attention and appeal to their target audience is, and will continue to be, a highly important skill. This includes persuading, selling, marketing, arguing, and telling a story in a way that connects to emotions and inspires or motivates people to take action. 
8. Critical thinking: this is more important that ever due to the plethora of information, ‘alternative facts’ and ‘fake news' - information is more accessible than ever, but not necessarily reliable or accurate. They need to know not to take information at face value and instead do their own research and analysis in order to get to the ’truth’ of the matter. Students need the skill of discernment in order to be able to critically evaluate their sources of information, to gain alternative perspectives and come to a reasonable conclusion based on factual and reliable evidence. 
9. Conceptual thinking: in other words, seeing the big picture and making connections between concepts. This requires a high level of abstract thinking. It means seeing the reasons behind why something is being done and coming up with new insights on matters. Always looking for the deeper meaning or underlying patterns. Computers/ AI are unlikely to ever be able to do this as well as humans can, as computers are always going to be limited by the code that runs them. 
10. Active citizenship: in order to make a positive contribution to society, students need to know how to act appropriately on their beliefs and values, and how to take steps towards implementing solutions in order to create change. 
11. Emotional intelligence - this encompasses skills such as empathy, self-awareness, ethical understanding, personal and social capability, and inter-cultural understanding. These skills will be critical, as it is unlikely that AI will be able to replicate this. It is an important part of good leadership. Jobs that require a high degree of emotional intelligence will be on the rise. Many knowledge-based jobs that will be overtaken by AI will need to evolve or reinvent themselves to incorporate these skills in order to continue (for eg. Accountants may need to take on more of a coaching role by helping people to manage their money, which requires more people/ social skills). Connecting with people. 
12. Entrepreneurship - as many of today’s jobs won’t exist in the future, students will need to be able to create new jobs for themselves. They will need to be able to identify gaps in the market, or new solutions to existing problems, and then take action on it. They will need to effectively lead people to bring together various resources in order to do this.