What does it mean to make our young people ‘future ready’?

Preparing for the ‘world of work’ is a ongoing process. Undoubtedly there are preparations our young students and graduates can undertake to prepare for their next ‘leap’ - be that into college or perhaps employment or an apprenticeship.

Reassuringly, this motivation and encouragement for ‘future ready’ young people comes from ‘the top’; where The Irish National Skills Strategy 2025, makes a correlation between aligning skills and young employees finding their true role, where they can value and feel they are making a contribution on their path.

IBEC identify ’key’ skills to be flexibility, self awareness, good communication, intuition, autonomy - to name but a few (see diagram). All of which, are a common ‘wish list’ for any employer, anywhere! So here is the trick - value your extra skills. Or as they are commonly referred to as ‘soft skills’ or ‘transferable skills’. IBEC indicate in their recent report ‘Smarter World, Smarter Work’ that up to two thirds of an prospective employer‘s interest may well lie in evidence of these skills, after the fact of the academic training & specialism.

Ultimately, there needs to be more pronounced communication between our fledgling graduates & the industries that await them. However, there are opportunities in our schools, communities and colleges for young adults to exercise & acknowledge the sharpening of their civic and social/emotional awareness. Perhaps we just need to support them to seek the opportunities and encourage & empower them to do so. In a generation where social media is changing relationships and human communications, maybe the old fashioned skills needed in the modern workplace are as valuable as ever?

https://www.education.ie/en/publications/policy-reports/pub_national_skills_strategy_2025.pdf