Skills for life

Often employers report that they cannot find people with the right mix of skills to help their businesses remain competitive in a global economy. These skill gaps are frequently in areas such as oral and written communication, customer service, team working and problem solving.

Universities and colleges also look for students with good communication skills, who can handle figures and have the skills needed for independent study.

The courses that your teenager will be doing from Year 10 will help them to learn skills that will be useful to them later on - in further study, in the workplace and in everyday life. However, the things they do out of school will also help them to develop these skills and provide useful experiences that they can include on their CV later on.

What are skills for life?

Your teenager will need practical skills in these areas so that they can cope confidently with further learning, employment and daily life. These 'functional' skills in Mathematics, English and ICT are seen as being so important that soon people will be able to take them as stand-alone qualifications. Meanwhile, GCSEs in mathematics and English can demonstrate your teenager's skills in these areas.

Employers, universities and colleges are looking for people who:

have a positive attitude
have team working skills
have problem solving skills
are able to apply IT and numeracy
are able to communicate well
have business and customer awareness
are able to self-manage.

They are also looking for people who are:

independent enquirers - able to find and use information to make decisions or draw conclusions
creative thinkers - able to explore and come up with ideas and ways to solve problems
reflective learners - able to think about what they have done and how they can improve.

Developing skills for life

Your teenager can start developing these skills right away.

Work experience

Most schools organise work experience in Year 10 or 11, often with the help of outside agencies. Your teenager will be able to find out first-hand what skills employers are looking for and get a taste of working life.

They may also be able to take part in workplace visits, work shadowing, mock interviews and enterprise activities to help them develop the skills and 'can do' attitudes to take on challenges.

Help is available through local Education Business Partnerships - find yours through www.nebpn.org/aboutus.htm.

Working part time

Getting a part-time job not only gives your teenager a bit of financial independence but also provides the opportunity to meet people, build confidence and practise using their skills.

There are laws and local restrictions about the type of work young people can do, and the hours and days they are allowed to work before the end of Year 11. To find out more, visit www.connexions-direct.com or contact your local Connexions centre.

Volunteering

Many teenagers find that volunteering is a great way to meet new people, learn new skills and expand their horizons. It could be a regular commitment or a series of one-off activities. It can help to build your teenager's confidence and it looks good on a CV. Some volunteering activities even offer opportunities for accreditation. For ideas on where to find opportunities particularly suited to teenagers in your area and elsewhere, visit www.connexions-direct.com/?go=FreeTime, or www.vinspired.com.

Challenges

If your teenager is looking for a personal challenge, the Duke of Edinburgh's Award Scheme may be what they are looking for. They can start with the Bronze Award when they are 14. To find out more, visit www.theaward.org.

Your teenager's school will probably have an enterprise programme and may offer enterprise workshops or the chance for students to take on a project or set up and run their own real company at school. They have to think for themselves, plan ahead, take risks and work together in a team - entrepreneurial skills that will serve them well in both the workplace and higher education.

The school may offer opportunities to get involved in national projects, such as Young Enterprise www.young-enterprise.org.uk , YoungBiz www.youngbizuk.co.uk and Shell LiveWIRE www.shell-livewire.org.

The Make Your Mark Challenge www.enterpriseweek.org is a national online enterprise challenge.

Case Study

Lizzie

Lizzie wants to be a vet. She knows this is very competitive, so she organised extra work experience at a local farm during the lambing season...

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