Turbulent Times: Skills for a Global World

If the events of recent weeks have proven anything, it’s that the world in which our young people are growing up is turbulent and unpredictable. Over the past 12 months, Think Global has been working together with OCR to look more closely at questions about the skills young people really need to live and work in such a world.

Focusing on the views and understandings of employers, who can play a crucial role in supporting young people to learn and practise skills for a global world, we surveyed 500 business leaders from across the country and across sectors to build an up-to-date picture of whether or to what extent our young people are prepared to thrive both today and in the future.

On Wednesday 13th July, we were very proud to launch the results of this investigation at a select Westminster breakfast event. Chaired by Baroness Sue Garden, guests discussed the key findings of the report, and ways to promote and act on the report’s recommendations. While some of the findings were not altogether surprising (such as the fact that despite numerous interventions, important skills gaps persist; and that more needs to be done specifically to prepare young people for a global world); others were more troubling. Most particularly, the report showed clearly that many employers themselves are out of touch with both the real global context in which their industries operate, and their own global role and responsibilities in preparing young people for international reality.

The report, entitled Turbulent Times: Skills for a Global World, is available now on our website. Please do take a look and let us know your own views!