21st Century Skills are those skills we expect our students to have when the enter the work force. Without these skills, they will be ill-prepared for the added expectations their employer may have regarding technology ability, especially if their discipline area is not a technology heavy one. A quote I like to use that describes this expectation is as follows:

“The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn.” — Alvin Toffler

Technology changes rapidly and along with it the technology tools that we use day to day or in the workplace. The ability to adapt quickly to these new advancements and changes is key to any college graduate. While we cannot teach them what exactly they will need to learn, we can hopefully expose them to enough different technologies and tools, that it will provide them with the transferrable skills they need to learn and relearn the tools they will use on the job.

What I am finding to be particularly challenging is we are now in a gap period where high school graduates have little to no 21st Century Skills. Even though they are being pushed by the state education departments and by organizations like P21 (Partnership for 21st Century Skills), current graduates have either missed out on most or have been given such a small amount of skills that it is now up to the colleges to get these students prepared. I am quite sure in 10+ years high schools will be graduating much more technology literate students, however I have gathered from observation or conversation with current college students that their extent of “21st Century Learning” was basic usage of a computer. Being able to use a computer is no longer a “skill” per say, but rather it is a basic expectation for any college instructor or almost any employer.

Right now I am in the process of essentially creating the guiding standards for a new branch campus of a smaller 2-year college, and I am using not only standards for higher education, but also standards for K-12 as I am sure incoming students will not have a strong grasp on these either. It is an exciting time, but also a challenge to feel confident that incoming students who have not been exposed to 21st century skills much previously, will graduate with all the skills they need to be professionals.