EMPLOYABILITY
STEP 4: Teach skills, then
reinforce them
STEP 5: Bring skills
to life
Although the curriculum is already packed, we see schools
successfully use punchy, 10-minute sessions to teach elements
of work skills, for example, during form periods. Deploying
and practising these in a range of other settings, including
extra-curricular activities, then reinforces these lessons.
Some schools go so far as to engage parents with this
element of their children’s learning, promoting a ‘skill of the
month’ and using their newsletters to suggest activities
parents might do with their children in order to reinforce
that skill at home.
STEP 2:
Break down
skills into
bite-sized chunks
Schools that excel in building
skills for work often break them
down into manageable chunks.
Fo r e x a m p l e , w h e n
addressing teamwork, our Skills
Builder Framework helps to
identify its component parts.
For five-year olds, teamwork
might initially equate to ‘taking
turns’. Over time, further
nuggets of learning are added
in a logical sequence, such as
encouraging contributions
from others in groups, resolving
conflict and evaluating
team success.
This approach builds on
research into how skills are
mastered in a diverse range of
areas and professions. A
continued focus on skills and
deliberate practice has been
shown to make all
the difference.
STEP 3:
SKILLS ESSENTIAL FOR
THE WORLD OF WORK:
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The skills we have identified also support Gatsby Benchmarks
5 and 7 as they encompass forging links with employers and
further and higher education. Skills for work cannot be
mastered in isolation: any successful approach to building
them includes engaging with the wider world.
Employers ranging from banks to law firms and the NHS
frequently invite groups of students from Skills Builder Schools
into their organisations to see how the work skills they
are taught are deployed in practice. The shared focus on
essential skills provides a common language and
shared outcomes.
There are now more than 350 UK schools embracing the
teaching of these eight essential skills, equipping young
people to make informed career choices and gain essential
transferable skills for work and life.
Measure your base line
Measuring comprehension and attainment of work
skills using the Skills Builder Framework enables teachers to ascertain exactly what
students can and cannot do. This allows teaching to be focused on the stretch
zone for students, avoiding wasted efforts. It also supports Gatsby Benchmark 8
(providing personal guidance for students around careers), as a detailed and
nuanced understanding of a student’s skills is vital here.
FUTURE TALENT // 23