How to Help Students Develop Critical Skills for Success

Key points:

This article was originally published by SREB and is republished with permission.

Communication, teamwork and problem-solving are clear priorities among the success skills employers are looking for, according to a new report from the Southern Regional Board of Education.

The skills employers demand: An analysis of the research summarizes 10 years of study, from 2013 to 2023, and analyzes job offers in all 16 SREB states.

The report is designed to help educators and policymakers integrate these skills into what students learn in K-12, dual enrollment, and postsecondary education. SREB Dual Enrollment Initiative includes a focus on skills for future careers.

Success skills, sometimes called soft, durable, non-technical, or employability skills, are personal qualities that advance careers and increase productivity.

“At a time when we are all learning how ai can perform routine tasks, these are the qualities that differentiate humans from machines,” said SREB President Stephen L. Pruitt.

The most sought-after success skills across industries were remarkably consistent across academic and business studies:

• Oral and written communication.
• Team work and collaboration
• Problem solving and critical thinking.

Supervision and management also emerged as top skills in the healthcare and STEM industries, where SREB predicts the largest workforce gaps in southern states.

“There is increasing demand for these success skills, which are associated with increased income, adaptability, career progression, resilience and productivity,” said Courtney Leidner, SREB research analyst and author of the study.

For educators and policy makers
Promising strategies to develop skills for success

“Making a plan to change instruction and integrate these skills across curricula is an important step,” said Dale Winkler, SREB senior vice president of school improvement. “SREB is committed to helping states and schools adapt strategies for their local areas.”

Many SREB states are working to incorporate skills for success into what students learn, from K-12 through postsecondary education. In addition to course standards, research suggests these strategies:

• Tailor success skills to high-demand industries in your state or community by examining local labor data.
• Develop a cohesive approach across K-12, two-year, and four-year colleges.
• Use widely recognized credentials with clear criteria from accredited organizations. Accreditation can show employers that high school or college students have passed skills assessments.
• Offer project-based and work-based learning experiences.

Work-based learning allows students to learn how to function in the workplace through mentoring, internships, apprenticeships or on-the-job training. You can start in earlier grades with guest speakers, workplace tours, and job shadowing.

Project-based learningWhere students learn through practice and feedback on authentic, concrete projects, it can be particularly effective in developing collaboration, adaptability and management skills.