Employers are increasingly looking for a range of transferable skills in potential hires, according to a major five-year study by the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER). The study identified six key skills that are considered as important as formal qualifications for gaining and keeping employment in the coming decade.
These essential skills include the ability to communicate, collaborate, and solve problems. Additionally, employers value candidates who can organise, plan, prioritise, think creatively, and evaluate data effectively.
The NFER's findings come as previous research, published last year, indicated that finding employment may become more challenging. This is due to the potential disappearance of up to three million low- to mid-level jobs by 2035, attributed to advancements in AI and automation.
Businesses highlighted the importance of these skills, with examples such as Christian Townsley from North Bar group, who values organisation and multitasking, and Maria Aderonmu of Morgan Sindall Infrastructure, who stresses adaptability and problem-solving. Lynn Bassett, HR director at Barbour, emphasised collaboration and creative thinking, while India Chaplin, people director at Morgan Sindall, noted the need for human judgment in evaluating data.
Jude Hillary, the NFER economist who led the project, stated that these human skills will be crucial for individuals to secure and maintain higher-skilled work as automation increases. He believes that job growth will be in areas requiring these abilities, making it vital for young people entering the labour market to be competitive in these fields.