To prepare for an unpredictable and constantly changing future, math or English are not the most important subjects for children. Instead, the following 7 soft skills are the most necessary.

There is a noticeable reality that parents today often invest in their children learning math and English early, hoping they will get into top classes, top schools, and eventually get into prestigious universities, leading to good jobs with high salaries. However, the recruitment trends of companies around the world are changing. An education expert argues that education can be considered a passport to the future, but schools seem to be failing to impart some of the most important life skills to children.

Nowadays, employers are no longer overly focused on high grades; instead, they are increasingly demanding more “soft skills” such as communication skills, teamwork ability, and personal dynamism.

Recently, a video posted by the World Economic Forum highlighted 7 essential skills that every child should learn to survive in the future workplace. These are the 7 skills outlined by Dr. Tony Wagner, co-director of the Change Leadership Group at Harvard University.

Dr. Tony Wagner argues that today’s students are facing a “global achievement gap.” This is the gap between what even the best schools are teaching and the skills young people need to learn. This is being exacerbated by two trends: first, the global shift from an industrial economy to a knowledge economy; second, the way children today are growing up with the Internet and are encouraged to learn.

Not only at school, but parents should also guide and help their children develop these soft skills from an early age.

1. Critical thinking and problem-solving skills

Companies need to continuously improve products, processes, and services to compete. To do this, they need their employees to have critical thinking skills and the ability to ask the right questions to get to the root of a problem.

If you pay attention, you’ll notice that at a certain stage of a child’s development (around 4-5 years old), children love to ask questions. However, instead of encouraging their children to develop critical thinking through observing the world around them, many parents get frustrated whenever their child asks questions. This is a very necessary skill for future work that children need to be taught early. Parents should teach their children how to ask questions and think for themselves.

2. Collaboration and leadership through influence

Due to the interconnected nature of the business world, leadership skills, the ability to influence, and teamwork skills are becoming increasingly important. And what is the key to becoming an effective leader? Author Wagner believes it has a lot to do with “creative problem-solving skills and a clear ethical framework.”

Children need to be taught the skills to collaborate with friends, work together in a group, and share responsibilities rather than bossing others around.

3. Agility and adaptability

The ability to adapt and learn new skills quickly is crucial for success: workers need to be able to use a variety of tools to solve problems. This is also known as “learning ability,” a skill that employers often look for in candidates.

Adaptation is an important life skill because it is the ability to integrate or react to the external environment. A child with good communication skills can achieve success with those around them. But without the skill of adapting to participating in activities with others, it is difficult to achieve good results in life. Especially in today’s ever-changing society, adapting to all living conditions, working environments, and learning conditions is a vital skill for every child.

4. Creativity and taking risks

Taking risks doesn’t cause harm, and individuals or businesses often face a tendency to fear risk. It’s better to try 10 things and succeed in 8 than to try only 5 and succeed in none.

Experts have advised that instead of forbidding children from trying risky situations for fear of their safety, parents should give their children the opportunity to experiment and be creative to understand their limits and develop their creativity and abilities. Children need to be inspired to become creative and innovative individuals.

5. Effective communication both verbally and in writing

Vague thinking and the inability to articulate one’s thoughts are common complaints from business leaders when Wagner sought information for his book. This is not about using improper grammar, punctuation, or pronunciation, but about the ability to communicate clearly and coherently when speaking, presenting, or writing. “If you have great ideas but can’t articulate them, you will lose,” Wagner said.

For children, in today’s technology-driven era, teaching them good writing skills has not been fully emphasized. As for verbal communication skills, building presentations on a favorite topic is a great way to enhance communication and argumentative thinking skills in children.

6. Knowing how to access and analyze information

Many workers have to deal with large amounts of information daily. The ability to filter and extract what is needed is a challenge, especially given how quickly information can change.

From a young age, choosing beneficial, suitable books with your child and selecting online information sources to serve personal needs such as entertainment/scientific knowledge/environment… are ways parents are guiding their children on how to access and analyze information.

7. Curiosity and imagination

Curiosity and imagination can drive innovation and are also key factors in problem-solving. “We are all born curious, creative, and imaginative. A typical 4-year-old will ask hundreds of questions a day. But by the time that child is 10, they will tend to focus on finding the right answers in class instead of asking good questions. What we – as parents and teachers – need to do is keep children curious and imaginative, their innate abilities,” Wagner emphasized.

Source: weforum