“Agile Employability” - 5 skills you’ll need for tomorrow’s world

As a result of the pandemic, there has been a massive shift in the way we work and many of these workplace changes are here to stay.

As a result, the skills companies require from their future employees are changing too. So taking an agile approach to employability means being rapidly adaptable and able to navigate through any new developments as they come along.  

So let’s have a look at which 5 Employability Skills will play an active role in creating better futures moving forward:    

1) Digital literacy

Blended learning and virtual conferencing are here to stay. More and more people have embraced digital technology as a way of staying connected throughout the pandemic. Take every opportunity to work on your computing and IT skills and learn something new in this area. Digital literacy is viewed as the most valuable tool for lifelong learning. 

2) Adaptability 

The way businesses operate is changing, and employees need to be flexible enough to be able to adapt with those changes. You need to remain open to suggestions on how to improve things, keep an open mind and be willing to consider alternative ways of doing things.  

3) Creativity 

Industry needs people who can think out of the box. On a small scale it can be just a matter of reviewing how you approach a task and seeing how it can be done differently. Collaboration with others also feeds creativity so take every opportunity to work with peers and colleagues on projects and develop ideas together.

4) Resilience 

This is basically being strong enough mentally to cope with stress and bounce back. It means having a work-life balance with hobbies and friends which allow you to switch off and which act as stress buffers when times get tough. Make sure you reach out when you need support. It’s ok to not be ok. Don’t put yourself under any unnecessary pressure. See our previous blog post on 'The Positivity Toolkit' for more ideas on managing stress levels.

5) Leadership abilities

Use every opportunity to lead a work or study group at College; take charge of a project and be open to new responsibilities. Leadership also means being able to delegate tasks and listen to others and their opinions before making decisions. In a business context, Change requires people who can inspire others to actually create the change itself. 

At The Manchester College we’ll keep working with employers to stay ahead of emerging labour market trends. Now more than ever, the work we do in this area, like our industry boards and employer-sponsored programmes, is vital to ensuring courses and work experience opportunities stay relevant to helping you develop the skills and abilities you need for an amazing future.