It’s no secret that the world is changing rapidly, particularly with the increasing adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in everyday life. While digital literacy and learning how to use AI are crucial parts of skills development for youth, young people must develop other competencies and critical soft skills to succeed in an evolving world.
Specifically, skills such as emotional intelligence, critical thinking, and values-based leadership must also be emphasised (in conjunction with technological know-how). In this post, we’ll discuss some of the factors contributing to global change and explore the skills youth can acquire to adapt, along with suggestions on how to develop these skills.
Concerns about adapting to a changing world
UNESCO celebrates World Youth Skills Day every year. This annual event focuses on how educational institutions must evolve to cater for changing vocational needs. Currently, the focus is on how academic institutions and organisations should advocate for ethical, inclusive, and human-centred AI to empower all youth.
In summary, World Youth Skills Day aims to raise awareness about the following:
- Bias and inequality in AI systems
- Low educator readiness for teaching AI
- Limited infrastructure to adopt AI
- High costs of scaling AI
- Ethical and privacy concerns (i.e. reliance on data and lack of transparency)
- Digital misinformation and concerns about governance
- Underrepresentation of women and marginalised groups
- Human disconnection and overreliance on AI
However, automation and the increasing adoption of AI tools aren’t the only relevant aspects to consider. Remote work is also transforming the world of work, necessitating a shift in focus when developing curricula and identifying relevant employability skills for young people.
We must also consider factors such as climate change, political instability, and the social implications of technology when identifying essential future youth skills. Not all youth have access to the same resources; however, everyone can benefit from developing a future-ready skillset.
What are future relevant skills?
To be able to function in a changing world and build awareness of both the benefits and limitations of AI, youth must develop competencies in all of the following areas:
Emotional intelligence
Emotional intelligence is the ability to be aware of your own emotions and those of others, as well as to self-regulate and communicate your feelings. While people have historically seen Intelligence Quotient (IQ) as the measure of a person’s intelligence, the debate between EQ vs IQ has swung in favour of EQ, or Emotional Quotient. For example, in his book Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ, Daniel Goleman discussed why EQ can often be more crucial to a person’s success.
Social intelligence
Social intelligence (SI) is closely related to emotional intelligence. However, social intelligence takes EQ a step further by applying awareness of emotions and behaviour in various social settings, such as schools and the workplace. In other words, EQ is the foundation for SI.
The importance of these kinds of skills has led to the formalisation of social and emotional learning (SEL). The importance of SEL is well recognised as an essential competency for youth, not only to excel academically in school or university, but also to thrive in the workforce.
To clarify, SEL focuses on building the following capacities, according to the CASEL framework:
- Self-awareness
- Self-management
- Responsible decision-making
- Relationship skills
- Social awareness
Self-awareness
As discussed above, both emotional and social intelligence involve self-awareness. To build this competency, youth can develop the ability to check in with themselves to recognise emotions and find tools to manage them.
Self-awareness is not a skill to master, but rather a competency that we learn and hone throughout our lives. Therefore, honing this competency is a part of an ongoing journey of self-development.
Critical thinking
In a rapidly changing world where we utilise AI tools to enhance our learning and information processing, critical thinking skills are more crucial than ever. While AI has phenomenal potential to assist us, it’s vital for learners not to become too reliant on AI, as these models are prone to bias and error.
Critical thinking skills can help youth develop confidence in their cognitive abilities, not only when using technology, but also when navigating challenging situations, making informed decisions, and navigating complex problems.
Digital & AI literacy
As discussed above, our world is becoming increasingly technologically driven, making it essential for young people to acquire digital and AI literacy skills. However, as the theme of the current World Youth Skills Day suggests, digital and AI tools are not always readily available to all youth.
Therefore, there must be a drive towards supporting youth and marginalised communities in learning these skills, so that no one is left behind.
Adaptability & resilience
Future-readiness isn’t just about being able to use AI and navigate a world of technological complexity. While technology plays a prominent role in our lives, we are still human beings, which means we also need to navigate emotional and social complexity. Unfortunately, this isn’t always easy. Therefore, part of learning future-ready skills involves stress management and cultivating resilience over time, which enables individuals to bounce back after experiencing challenges.
Purpose and values-based decision making
All of the above skills relate to one another, as they form a foundation for finding purpose and meaning, as well as making values-based decisions. In other words, learning cognitive, social and emotional skills, as well as developing resilience and adaptability, can help a person build a future-ready skillset.
With a future-ready skillset, youth can empower themselves to navigate a challenging world with confidence, even if they don’t always get everything “right”. These competencies are particularly relevant for individuals seeking to pursue youth entrepreneurship.
Tips for building future-ready skills
Apart from developing digital skills for youth, it’s also essential to emphasise soft skills training for students. Some easy and accessible ways to build these include:
Journaling
Journaling is a powerful way to develop self-awareness and process thoughts and emotions. Research into positive affect journaling (PAJ) has shown that it helps improve mental health and enhances wellbeing. Journaling is also more accessible to a broader range of people, making it a powerful tool for empowering youth from all socio-economic backgrounds.
Self-check-ins and emotional regulation
Similar to journaling, self-check-ins help people build awareness of their emotions. A self-check-in helps people learn how to self-regulate through the use of various techniques. For example, a self-check-in can involve sitting quietly and connecting with your breath and physical sensations. This simple yet powerful practice can help cultivate mindfulness, which has numerous positive effects on psychological health, thereby supporting the development of the skills discussed above.
Digital awareness
The first step in building capacity for digital and AI literacy is digital awareness. Building digital awareness involves becoming informed about both the benefits and risks of using digital platforms, such as online communication and how to manage cyberbullying. Learning how to balance screen time can also be helpful, as well as learning how to use online tools effectively.
Learn future-ready skills with SACAP Global
To help youth expand on all the above skills, SACAP Global offers various online short courses and workshops on topics such as mental health, entrepreneurship and self-development.
Some of our popular courses include:
- Developing a Growth Mindset
- Managing & Preventing Anxiety
- Creative Thinking & Problem Solving
- Enhancing Mental Health
- Positive Psychology: The Science of Happiness
- Stress Management & Building Resilience
- Youth Mental Health First Aid
- Holistic Approach to Managing Depression
We’ve designed our online courses for anyone over 18 who wants to develop practical skills and gain everyday psychology knowledge – no academic entry requirements or conditions!
