What Skills Do You Use Everyday?
LEF Report - Winter 2019
Though you likely have industry-specific skills that come to mind for your job, you probably also said things like, communicating with different audiences, the ability to solve problems, the ability to think critically and learning from mistakes. Perhaps you considered use of technology, the ability to negotiate, taking initiative, flexibility, or the capacity to relate to and work well with others among the skills upon which you most often rely. What do all of these skills have in common? They are portable.
Regardless of our industry, role, or how long we serve within it, these skills are those we take with us and transfer across every facet of our lives. Today’s students are tomorrow’s citizenry and workforce.
Some research predicts today’s kindergarteners will have as many as 17 jobs in five different industries. The exact number of jobs and industries is far less important, however, than the skills and competencies students will need to navigate successful lives as citizens and professionals. There is broad consensus that skills like adaptability, lifelong learning, collaboration, empathy, critical thinking and communication are chief among those essential portable skills.
Enrichment changes the context for learning. LEF supports programs and initiatives which provide access, leverage community expertise, and connect children to experiences where they can grow knowledge and understanding, practice a variety of portable skills, and execute on both as agents of change in their communities and the world.
In the past, enrichment has gotten a bad rap as something only available to those who excel and/or who have the means to provide something extra.
At LEF, we are working to change the narrative around enrichment. Everyone should have access to enrichment opportunities, because everyone needs these portable skills to ensure a healthy, empathetic, and successful citizenry and workforce.
Curious about opportunities for your child? Have a portable skill you want to share or an idea about how to connect our children to new opportunities? Please reach out: lefforstudents@gmail.com.