Abuja—The fundamental drivers of economic development and job creation have shifted dramatically New graduates, particularly in Africa, must have the requisite skills to be considered good enough to be employed.
An industry expert has listed some of the in-demand skills that graduates should master to be relevant in the business world in the next 10 years.
Bernard Marr, futurist, technology strategist, and author of Future Talents, has advised graduates and non-graduates to embrace 10 skills to be job-ready in the future.
According to him, the world is evolving, and it is important that youths and young adults are technically equipped to be indispensable to future employers.
Marr, a regular Forbes magazine columnist who is ranked by LinkedIn as one of the top five business influencers in the world, noted that Jobs will be lost as automation increases, but more will be created.
In his book, Future Skills: The 20 Skills and Competencies Everyone Needs to Succeed in a Digital World, he argued that while technical skills are very important, it is also critical to cultivate soft skills so we can do the things machines can’t.
He listed the 10 skills to include:
Digital Literacy. According to Marr, these skills involve using devices, software, and apps safely and confidently.
Read also: Digital institute begins 5-day training of health insurance staffs on infographics, others
He added: “People with strong digital literacy skills can communicate and collaborate easily using digital tools, and they keep on top of new technologies and understand how they might impact their job and their business.”
He argued that data literacy will be a strong determinant in deciding on a candidate’s suitability for a job. Companies he stressed want to employ people that are able to take data and use it effectively.
Other skills he listed are: Critical Thinking Emotional Intelligence Creativity Collaboration Flexibility Leadership Skills Time Management Curiosity and Continuous Learning.
Meanwhile, the federal government made a decisive move to curb unemployment among Nigerian youths with a new scheme.
The scheme intends to annually employ not less than 20,000 fresh Nigerian graduates who are committed to contributing to the country’s economic development.
It plans to connect talented graduates with local job opportunities that use their experience while also equipping them with world-class practical knowledge and needed skills.
Source: Legit.ng
