Transferable skills include the ability to solve problems, communicate ideas and information effectively, be creative, show leadership and conscientiousness, and demonstrate entrepreneurial capabilities. People need these skills to be able to adapt to different work environments and so improve their chances of staying in gainful employment.
UNESCO. 2012. EFA global monitoring report, 2012.Youth and skills putting education to work, summary. Paris: UNESCO
Employers want assurances that young people applying for jobs have at least strong foundation skills and can deploy their knowledge to solve problems, take the initiative and communicate with team members, rather than just follow prescribed routines. These ‘transferable skills’ are not taught from a textbook but can be acquired through good quality education. Yet employers often indicate that these skills are lacking in new recruits to the labour market ( UNESCO 2012:27).
UNESCO. 2012. EFA global monitoring report, 2012. Youth and skills putting education to work, summary. Paris: UNESCO