The Harlequins Foundation’s CEO, Marc Leckie, has written about how the Skills Builder framework is the key to helping people develop the essential skills they need to succeed.\u00a0<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t When faced with the enormous challenges we see today and with huge uncertainty about the future, and with no clear way out it can feel overwhelming.<\/p> This is particularly acute for our young people, who have experienced major disruption to their education over the last six months.<\/p> Even if the pandemic had not happened would our children have the essential skills to be ready to confront the challenges that face them as they transition into adulthood?<\/p> I would suggest that for many the answer is no.<\/p> This will have a greater impact on certain individuals or groups within our society.\u00a0The findings from the Education Endowment Foundation in June 2020[1]<\/a>\u00a0suggest that school closures will widen the attainment gap between disadvantaged children and their peers, likely reversing progress made to narrow the gap since 2011. The median estimate indicates that the gap would widen by 36%.<\/p> It is important to note that like the virus the lack of skills development, or perhaps more accurately the lack of a supportive environment in which they may be improved, can affect anyone.<\/p> The importance of developing a set of essential skills for individuals to thrive in education, employment and entrepreneurship has been long documented, from the CBI\u2019s landmark 1989 report[2]<\/a>\u00a0through to the Taylor Review in 2017[3]<\/a>.<\/p> These are the skills which \u2018almost everyone needs to do almost any job. They are the skills that make specific knowledge and technical skills fully productive\u2019.[4]<\/a><\/p> Too often this is an area where terminology is confused and confusing. The work of the Essential Skills Taskforce[5]<\/a>\u00a0over the last year has been to try to cut through this, to refine a consistent, universal approach to these essential skills.<\/p> Our starting point is eight essential skills. Known by many different names, we define them as: Listening, Speaking, Problem Solving, Creativity, Staying Positive, Aiming High, Leadership and Teamwork.<\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t These eight skills maps across to the four domains that come up time and again as the core, transferable skills for employment. In pairs they cover communication, creative problem-solving, self-management, and collaboration skills. They are laid out in the Skills Builder Universal Framework[6]<\/a>.<\/p> The Framework breaks each down into tangible steps which can be developed in turn. We can use it to clarify what success looks like in each one and to map out the trajectory for growth for each person.<\/p> As a father of two young children I am constantly aware of their development, wishing to support them whilst still wanting to let them \u2018find their way\u2019. I come from a single parent family, experienced domestic abuse and knew we were poorer than many of my peers growing up. I often talk to friends about how we raise our children to understand \u2018the value of a pound note\u2019, be resilient and independent without them having to experience hardship or fear. I must add that I still had an enjoyable childhood and my mum was a superhero bringing up my sister and I on her own, both of us successful in our own right and with families of our own. How you measure success is of course another commentary piece of its own.<\/p>![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.ant-farm.co.uk\/hf\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/1601992060606-1024x152.jpg\")
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