The Village School, a pre-kindergarten through 12th-grade private day and boarding school located in Houston’s Energy Corridor, recently provided its perspective on a new research study conducted by Nord Anglia, its parent school, about which skills and attitudes best position Gen Z for success in their future professional endeavors.
To conduct the study, Nord Anglia commissioned independent research among 18-to-25-year old’s living in the United Kingdom, United States and India to better understand which skills they view as critical to their success. Nord Anglia chose to focus on Gen Z because they are the most recent generation to enter higher education or begin working in a world impacted by the pandemic and economic uncertainty.
The study found confidence, resilience, team spirit, problem-solving and critical thinking, and mental and physical well-being as essential attributes for Gen Z’ers to develop to prepare them for future challenges in the workplace and beyond.
“As educators, we understand the increasingly important role confidence, resiliency, and experimental learning play in children’s success – both now and in their future careers,” said Bill Delbrugge, head of school for The Village School. “At Village, we offer creative learning opportunities and tailor each children’s learning experience to their talents and needs to give them the best path to a successful future. One example of this is our health and wellness programs, which span pre-school through 12th grade and allow students to find their pathways and learn how to be confident change-makers.”
Highlights of the study include:
- When it comes to having a successful career, Gen Z’ers think the following skills and attitudes are the most important: confidence (51%), resilience (44%), team spirit (43%), problem-solving and critical thinking (38%) and mental and physical wellbeing (35%). According to Gen Z’ers who completed the study, when it comes to their lives at work and at home — times are tough and looking after their well-being has never been more important. When it comes to a happy personal life, nearly half (47%) chose well-being as a top skill.
- Critical thinking and problem-solving are two skills Gen Z’ers say are vital for success in their professional lives, and also ones they wish their education had helped them develop more. Creativity, of which problem-solving is a large part, also ranks highly too. The need for these skills is reflective of our challenging times.
As one Gen Z’er stated: “Problem-solving is, arguably, one of the most important skills a professional can possess in the current climate. With all the economic uncertainty, workarounds and the ability to think on your feet could be the difference between the success and failure of a business.”
The Nord Anglia study also found the global pandemic had a significant impact on Gen Z, including:
- Putting an increased emphasis on health and well-being
- Developing a sense of empathy for others
- Honing problem-solving and critical-thinking skills
- Learning how to be self-aware
- Obtaining a global outlook to understand better and appreciate what’s happening in the world
“As the #1 most diverse private school in the state of Texas, our teachers and students hail from around the world and foster a global perspective within our community, which we believe helped our students navigate the uncertainties of COVID and its many ripple effects,” said Delbrugge.
To learn more about the full Nord Anglia study, visit the website. To learn more about The Village School, visit www.villageschool.com.