Life skills as the key to success for today’s youth
Although young people around the world are more and more likely to pursue formal education, upon graduation they often find that they
are not adequately prepared for the world of work. Because skills relevant to key growth sectors of the modern economy – mainly “soft” skills – are often not covered in traditional education systems,
employers often find a “skills mismatch” between the competencies youth need to succeed in the workplace and those they actually possess. This is a critical challenge for today’s youth, and one key
approach to overcoming this challenge is through the provision of life skills training.
Soft Skills are everyday interpersonal skills that job seekers need to succeed on the job. They include communicating clearly and
appropriately, remembering work directions, working well with others, and knowing how to solve problems. These skills will help youth succeed in life no matter what they are doing. They are necessary
for youth to succeed in education, job training, independent living, team participation, and, ultimately, in the workplace.
Life skills programs targeting youth have been shown to:
• Improve economic outcomes for youth: Life skills programs have been shown to increase the earning potential of young people. In addition, they position youth to obtain jobs of
better quality and formality, measured by written contracts and employer-paid insurance.
• Improve education outcomes for youth: Recent research has demonstrated that when young people are provided interventions that include non-academic supports in social-cognitive
skills, learning outcomes improve as do completion/graduation rates.
• Increase employer satisfaction with new hires: Life skills programs strengthen young people’s abilities in many areas that employers consider particularly important when
hiring new employees. Employers often report a higher level of satisfaction with entry-level employees who have gone through life skills training than those who have not.
• Change personal behavior and social attitudes of youth: Life skills programs allow youth to create a life plan and equip them with the skills to take steps toward achieving
their goals. They also help young people to better understand healthy personal behaviors, thus decreasing outcomes such as teen pregnancies, drug and alcohol use, and interpersonal violence. As a
result, they help to increase young people’s sense of self-esteem and expectations for their future and the future of their children.
These findings are very encouraging and demonstrate that quality life skills programming can contribute to a “winwin” situation by addressing both youth and employers’ needs.
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