The Future Skills Gap: What Schools Should Be Teaching

By Dr Ritu Uppal

Nearly 150 million new technology-driven jobs are expected to emerge globally within the next five years. By 2030, about 77 per cent of all roles will require digital competencies, many of which are still emerging in today's classrooms. Rather than being shortfall, this presents an opportunity to evolve how we educate our learners.

India’s school education system has long provided strong academic foundations. But as the world of work transforms, so must the skills we teach. Alongside literacy and numeracy, learners now need to develop the ability to think critically, solve complex problems, lead with empathy, and adapt to change.

In-Demand Skills

The World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report 2025 highlights that 39 per cent of core skills required for work will shift by 2030. The most in-demand skills include analytical thinking, resilience, creativity, and social influence. These are no longer just “nice to have” — they are essential for success in the modern world. Employers are increasingly looking for people who can collaborate, make decisions, and approach challenges with agility and purpose.

India has recognised this shift through key policy frameworks. The National Education Policy 2020 and the National Curriculum Framework for School Education (NCF-SE) both emphasise experiential, inquiry-led, and competency-based learning. These reforms aim to move beyond rote memorisation to nurture confidence, curiosity, and a growth mindset — starting from early schooling.

Focus On K-12 

The K–12 phase is particularly powerful for building these mindsets. When schools provide opportunities for learners to practice decision-making, communication, and initiative, learners grow into adaptable, self-driven individuals who are better prepared for both life and work.

The NCF-SE also gives equal importance to capacities like critical and creative thinking, and to values like empathy, integrity, and collaboration. These are not taught in isolation but are embedded into how subjects are explored. A class in entrepreneurship, for instance, becomes an opportunity not just to learn facts, but to build an entrepreneurial mindset. A project on sustainability can inspire systems thinking, teamwork, and ethical reasoning.

Skill-centric learning — where learners engage in experience-based learning while being guided by teachers — offers the best of both worlds: hands-on learning, along with the human connection that nurtures real-world skills. Design challenges, interdisciplinary projects, and role-play scenarios allow K-12 learners to put skills like leadership or empathy into practice in meaningful ways.

Engagement Is Key

The shift from passive learning to active engagement is key. When learners begin to see the relevance of what they’re learning — how it connects to real-life problems — they engage more deeply and start to see themselves as capable contributors. This builds both confidence and competence.

Increasingly, schools are measuring how learners apply skills, reflect on their learning, and collaborate with others. These metrics give a more accurate picture of a learner's growth, not just academically, but personally and socially as well.

Globally, over 830 million young people aged 15–24 are expected to face a skills mismatch by 2030. Fortunately, many Indian schools are already leading this change, driven by educators who are reimagining classrooms as spaces for holistic development. 

Core academics remain vital. But we now have the opportunity to build upon them by weaving mindset and skill development into everyday teaching. Whether it’s through a group discussion in a history lesson or a problem-solving task in mathematics, the goal is to make thinking, collaboration, and creativity part of the daily learning experience.

Ultimately, our goal is to empower young learners to navigate life with confidence and find their place in the future of work.

(The author is the Chief Academics Officer at Get Set Learn)

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