10 May 2019

The 5 Top Skills for the Future and How to Get Them | Study With New Zealand

Linley Boniface

What can you do to prepare yourself for a rapidly changing future?

If you want to achieve your career goals and make a real impact on the world, you will have to gain the skills and knowledge needed for the next generation of jobs.

The high achievers of the future are likely to be smart, creative problem-solvers – graduates equipped to play their part in developing solutions to complex problems.

The world faces challenges that are too big to be solved by people working in isolation, so you will also need to be able to work in teams and across global boundaries.

What other skills should you develop to thrive in the future?

5 skills you need

According to the World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs report, these five skills will be in increasing demand:

  1. Analytical thinking and innovation
  2. Active learning and learning strategies
  3. Creativity, originality and initiative
  4. Technology design and programming
  5. Critical thinking and analysis

Choose a study destination for the future

To develop the top five attributes identified by the World Economic Forum, you’ll need a style of education that encourages you to think for yourself, come up with your own ideas, harness your creativity and learn to solve real-life problems.

If you’re looking for a study destination that can support you to develop these key skills, one country stands out – New Zealand.

New Zealand is ranked among the best 3 countries in the world – and the best English-speaking country – for preparing students for the future.

That’s according to the Economist Intelligence Unit, whose Worldwide Educating for the Future Index 2018 found New Zealand had the right policies, teaching and socio-economic environments for students’ future success.

New Zealand’s education system teaches students to solve real-world problems and think critically, creatively and globally.

Students are supported by New Zealand’s progressive values and culture of fairness and equality. Study here and you’ll learn to work with others, value different perspectives and solve problems that transcend national borders.

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About the contributors
Linley Boniface

Linley Boniface is a contract writer for Education New Zealand. She is based in Wellington, her favourite city in New Zealand. A former journalist, Linley spent a year in Montreal, Canada, as a secondary school student.