If 2020 taught us anything, it’s that we need to be ready for anything. Educators know that preparing students for their today’s careers looks dramatically different than it did even a year ago. The workforce has changed forever. Today’s students need to be prepared to succeed in an even more demanding working environment, making career and technical education even more critical.
Below is a list of some of the most requested job skills, and the certification programs you can leverage to teach these skills in your classroom. Your students need to stand out, so why not give them the skills the workforce is looking for?
Digital Skills
Technology has become a part of our everyday lives and understanding how to function in environments that require the use of computers and the Internet is more critical now than ever before. UNESCO defines digital skills as a range of abilities to use digital devices, communication applications, and networks to access and manage information. This encompasses basic skills, such as use of digital devices and the internet, and more advanced skills, such as artificial intelligence, data analytics, and machine learning. While younger workers are better educated than they used to be, they lack practical skills, especially digital skills, which are in high demand and ever-changing.
Whether your students plan to pursue a career in IT, or simply become more effective with technology, IC3 Digital Literacy Certification is the place to start. With the new IC3 Digital Literacy Global Standard Six exams, students can learn technology basics, digital citizenship, information management, and content creation. Students can expand their digital toolbelt with more advanced digital certifications, including Microsoft Office Specialist, Microsoft Certified Fundamentals, and Information Technology Specialist.
Communication Skills
Digital skills are crucial, but in today’s workplace, soft skills such as communication skills are just as pivotal for success. With communication skills consistently being one of the top skills employers are looking for, developing these skills can give candidates a big edge on the competition.
Poor communication is very expensive for companies. Studies have been done that estimate businesses with 100 employees lose an average of $420,000 per year due to poor communication between employees. The cost goes up based on the number of employees.
Preparing students to become effective communicators requires mastery of multiple communication methodologies. According to an article from Indeed, employers keep an eye open for candidates with resumes that highlight skills such as writing, speaking, and listening.
With our Communication Skills for Business certification, students will learn these skills and more. By preparing for the certification exam, students will learn communication basics, and how to deliver and receive communication for effective understanding.
Project Management
Effective communication and project management are skill besties. They hang well together, and things go more smoothly when they’re together. Employees with strong project management skills are those you can count on to complete work on time, stay focused, and help manage teams.
Students can use their project management skills in their personal lives, and in their future careers. According to reports from Burning Glass, nearly 2.3 million job postings in the last year have requested project management skills, which is great news for teachers looking to help their students find jobs immediately upon graduation. Plus, project management instills additional skills such as time management, communication, and teamwork; all soft skills that are highly demanded by today’s employers.
However, listing a skill on a resume often isn’t enough to get in the door, especially for applicants without a lot of experience. Having a validated credential, such as the Project Management Institute (PMI) Project Management Ready certification, helps open opportunities for students and young professionals. The PMI Project Management Ready certification will introduce and familiarize students to the concepts and field of project management, and the tools to apply this knowledge to a wide range of career paths.
Creativity
Last, but certainly not least. It’s no secret that creativity helps employees perform well in any job. According to Burning Glass, jobs requiring creativity range from software developer to preschool teacher to graphic designer. In fact, over 2.1 million job postings requested creativity in the last year alone. Plus, LinkedIn Learning ranked creativity as the number one soft skill requested by employers last year.
In addition to benefiting students on the job, creativity plays a key role in college admissions and higher education success. Adobe’s recent study, The Deciding Factor, highlights the crucial nature of creativity for today’s college applicants. College admissions decision makers see creative skills as a top three factor when reviewing applications, immediately following interviews and GPA.
If your students are looking to enhance their creative abilities and capacity for self-expression, their first stop should be mastery of Adobe’s Creative Cloud technology. With our “Learn, Practice, Certify, Advance” model, students can leverage their Adobe Certified Professional certification into a future creative career or higher education. Those who possess the Adobe certification can confidently prove that they have the skills and knowledge to meet the demands of today's creative industry.
Looking for more information on certification programs you can leverage to strengthen your students and CTE program? Connect with a Certiport representative here.