Page 12 - 21st Century Competencies: Foundation Document for Discussion

10 21st Century Competencies
Although they may have approached the topic from different angles, researchers nevertheless appear to be in broad agreement about the following characteristics of 21st century competencies.
21st century competencies are associated with growth in the cognitive, interpersonal, and intrapersonal domains.
Traditionally, cognitive competencies in critical thinking, analysis, and problem solving have been regarded as key indicators for success. However, changing economic, technological, and social contexts in the 21st century mean that interpersonal and intrapersonal competencies have become much more important than in the past. Employers are increasingly valuing “soft” skills such as teamwork and leadership skills. Pellegrino and Hilton (2012, p. 55) cite evidence that “people skills” are “an important determinant of occupations and wages”, concluding that young people’s social skills affect their job prospects in adulthood.
Studies in health and well-being have found that characteristics such as perseverance, grit, and tenacity are sometimes a more accurate predictor of success than IQ scores. For example, among intrapersonal competencies, the characteristic of conscientiousness (a tendency to be organized, responsible, and hardworking) is “most highly correlated with desirable educational, career, and health outcomes” (Pellegrino & Hilton, 2012, pp. 4–5).
The Conference Board of Canada (2000) has identified employability skills in three areas: Fundamental Skills (Communicate, Manage Information, Use Numbers, Think, and Solve Problems); Personal Management Skills (Demonstrate Positive Attitudes and Behaviours, Be Responsible, Be Adaptable, Learn Continuously, Work Safely); and Teamwork Skills (Work with Others, Participate in Projects and Tasks). It has also profiled innovation skills in the following areas:
• creativity, problem-solving, and continuous improvement skills • risk-assessment and risk-taking skills
• relationship-building and communication skills
• implementation skills
By thinking in terms of the cognitive, interpersonal, and intrapersonal domains (Figure 1) and by recognizing that various competencies may be associated with more than one domain, we can develop a better