WHAT ARE HUMAN SKILLS?

 There are elements of being human that can never be replaced by any technology. And it is these elements that will ensure our relevance and value in a rapidly changing world.

These are the HUMAN SKILLS that we need to make sure our young people learn today so they can get better at being human:

  • Learning to tackle problems (critical thinking and creativity)

  • Learning to work with others (communication and collaboration)

  • Learning to understand the world better (curiosity and social awareness)

  • Learning to be resilient (persistence and adaptability)

  • Learning to have a positive impact (initiative and leadership)

These are what we need to work on to get better at being human.

The questions that follow are:

  • CAN HUMAN SKILLS BE TAUGHT?

  • CAN HUMAN SKILLS BE MEASURED?

We at Face the Future believe very strongly that the answer for both questions is YES!

But we need to re-think what education is and how education should be presented to teach kids these human skills. Human Skills cannot be taught through lectures or through books and cannot be measured through formative assessments and standardised tests.

How can Human Skills be taught?

Human Skills can only be taught when the lesson is interactive and the student is an active participant. The student needs to first be aware of what these skills are, how others display them, and how they should alter their behaviours and action to adopt them.

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How can Human Skills be MEASURED?

The measurement of an individual’s Human Skills does not have to be subjective - it can be quantified.

However, they can only be measured when they are displayed in observable behaviour and action. And this observable behaviour and action has to be repeated and sustained.

The measurement of an individual’s Human Skills is dependant not only in their own behaviour and actions but also in their ability to accurately identify these skills in other people’s behaviours and actions.

This makes the measurement of Human Skills difficult, but not impossible.

Face The Future is proud to be part of the Youth Mental-Well Being Network (YMWN) set up by the Ministry of Social and Family Development and the Ministry of Education.

The YMWN also addresses the needs of human skills in their framework for programmes.

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