Your Child, Their Future #5 – Skills For The Future of Work

Tuesday, 1st February at 5PM saw the fifth instalment of the ‘Your Child, Their Future’ live event series, organised by Allstate NI, EY, and Herbert Smith Freehills. Previous sessions (available to watch on YouTube) have focused on the importance of work experience, understanding Apprenticeships, and the broad range of opportunities available to young people who are ready to kickstart their careers.

The latest session focused on ‘Future Skills’, exploring the attributes, skills, and personal traits required to prepare school leavers for joining the workforce today, and to support a successful career in the future.

Guest speakers at the event included: Carol Fitzsimons MBE, Chief Executive of Young Enterprise NI; Jenna Bell, Business Development Manager at the Chartered Institute of Building; and Rose Mary Stalker, Founder and pro bono Chair of 4C UR Future.

Hosted by former BBC Northern Ireland journalist, Sarah Travers, the virtual event is available to watch in full below. Here are some of the key takeaways from the session:

Soft skills are more important today than ever before, and sought after by all employers, including communication, empathy, creativity, problem solving, and resilience. It’s important for young people to develop their soft skills both inside and outside the classroom.”

Digital literacy and digital skills were important before COVID, but the pandemic has accelerated digital adoption with hybrid and remote working. We should expect increased digitalisation in careers going forward.”

Parents often project their fears and aspirations on to their children based on their experience of the world of work, which has evolved significantly. It’s incredibly powerful to help young people understand who they truly are and how they can play to their strengths.”

Find out more about how to get involved with 4C UR Future – contact us, or email: info@4curfuture.com.