{"id":2330,"date":"2016-10-21T17:14:58","date_gmt":"2016-10-21T15:14:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.jobberman.com.gh\/discover\/?p=2330"},"modified":"2022-01-28T13:35:05","modified_gmt":"2022-01-28T11:35:05","slug":"21st-century-workplace-skills","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.jobberman.com.gh\/discover\/21st-century-workplace-skills","title":{"rendered":"21st Century Skills every graduate must acquire"},"content":{"rendered":"

The need for new skillset in the 21st Century<\/strong><\/p>\n

Today\u2019s world is completely different from what it was decades ago. A century back, it was hard to imagine the kind of technology, work environment and gadget-enabled interactions we have today. This is called progress, and any civilisation that isn\u2019t progressing fast enough runs the risk of obsolescence and eventual extinction. Progress is driven by mankind, and at every stage of evolution, be it biological or technological, certain set of skills are required to propel the change.<\/span><\/p>\n

This is the burden on the hands of employers, parents and academia. Graduates, especially those in developing countries like Ghana, are not being equipped adequately and fast enough to become relevant in today\u2019s workplace. The gap between the skills people learn in schools and the skills they need to succeed at work is becoming more obvious, as traditional learning falls short of equipping students with the knowledge they need to get employed.<\/span><\/p>\n

Today\u2019s students will graduate into a world where the demands of our professional, personal and public lives grow more complicated every year. Graduates will be rewarded in the job market for their creativity, complex problem-solving skills, quick on-the-job learning and comfort with technology<\/span>.<\/b><\/p>\n

Today\u2019s graduates will work with colleagues right in their city or across the globe. They must develop competencies in online collaboration tools.  Online tools and technologies are blurring national and international borders, and being citizens of a global community will require strong multicultural work ethics and development of the right social and emotional learning skills. People and companies now transact in two dimensions; online and physical. The 21<\/span>st<\/span> Century graduate must develop skillsets that enable a seamless transition into both realms, and to engage in meaningful interaction or proper functioning.<\/span><\/p>\n

What are 21st <\/b> century skills? Who defines these skills?<\/b><\/p>\n

According to the<\/span> Glossary of Education Reform<\/span><\/a>, a website dedicated to discussing reform concepts being discussed by educators, researchers and policymakers, \u201cthe term <\/span>21<\/b>st<\/b> century skills <\/b>refers to a broad set of knowledge, skills, work habits, and character traits that are believed\u2014by educators, school reformers, college professors, employers, and others\u2014to be critically important for success in today\u2019s world, particularly in collegiate programs and contemporary careers and workplaces\u201d. <\/span><\/p>\n

There is no clear cut agreement from academia, policy makers and researchers on the exact definition of these critical skills that should be developed. However, they all pretty much agree on three broad areas graduates should develop to be able to fit into the modern work environment. These are learning skills, literacy skills and life skills.<\/span><\/p>\n

The full list of 21st century skills according to the Glossary of Education are:<\/span><\/p>\n