K12 schools have always played a role in career readiness. Thirty years ago, primary teachers inspired young students to think and dream about what they wanted to be when they grew up. Nothing has changed, except that K12 schools now have more practical ways of delivering career readiness to students and preparing them for the future of work.
What Is Career Readiness?
Career readiness is the term used to describe the skills students need when leaving high school, college, or a technical program that prepares them for entering the job market. The skills needed for today’s jobs and the jobs of the future of changed radically, requiring schools to adjust their curriculum to be able to help students attain the right skillsets to be employable and to be able to contribute to society.
Pathways to Career Readiness
Starting from very early in the K12 setting, districts can be preparing students for the future workforce. Some of the skills employers are looking for are distinctly tech-related and require specific industry-recognized credentials, many soft skills can be introduced from the outset in primary school. The top 16 soft skills have been identified for the future of work by Bernard Marr, international bestselling author and strategic business & technology advisor to governments and companies. They include:
- Critical thinking
- Judgment and complex decision making
- Emotional intelligence (EQ) and empathy
- Creativity
- Collaboration and teamwork
- Interpersonal communication skills
- Working in gigs
- Adaptability and flexibility
- Cultural intelligence and diversity consciousness
- Ethical awareness
- Leadership
- Managing the brand of you and networking
- Time management
- Curiosity and continuous learning
- Embracing and celebrating change
- Looking after yourself (work-life balance)
These skills are all skills that can be taught from the moment a child has cognitive capabilities, and the stronger the child’s soft skills are as they enter middle and high school, the more prepared they’ll be to enhance their education with a career-readiness curriculum that includes work-based learning, internships, and CTE courses with industry leading vendors.
Career Readiness Is Crucial
From implementing career readiness with Coursera and enhancing your CTE programs to considering ways to introduce soft skills throughout your students’ education, giving students the tools they need to be competitive in the workforce can start as soon as they start school. GG4L is committed to helping schools prepare students for the future of work. Get in touch today to learn more about how we can help.
