Core skills

In an increasingly globalized economy skills matter. Vocational and technical skills are essential, but employers are seeking applicants with more than these skills. Core employability skills build on and strengthen skills developed through basic and technical education. They enable individuals to constantly acquire and apply new knowledge and skills and are, therefore, critical to lifelong learning. Workers equipped with these skills adjust more quickly to technological change and organizational restructuring. This makes them more likely to find decent employment and more resilient to economic shocks (be it a financial crisis or another turbulence).

Core employability skills should be embedded in all education and training, and are best acquired through learning methodologies that encourage communication, team-work, problem-solving skills among others. Employment services have always provided job search skills. They now increasingly expand their offer to include other core employability skills, aiming to mitigate the lack of this particular skill set among job seekers and graduates.