Doctor Tony Wagner believes there are seven skills that young people need to have in order for them to find and keep a good job in today's economy. But he thinks our schools are focusing too much on tests and academic performance and aren't doing enough to teach those skills. Let me give you an example, one of Wagner’s seven skills is the ability to work in an international team. This is because little teamwork is carried out in one building anymore.
When most global companies have a problem, they create teams of people from all over the world to solve it. And these people meet online in virtual meeting rooms. To succeed in this kind of environment you need to be a good communicator and understand different cultures. Teams also need good leaders who lead by influencing others. But Wagner and the business people he interviewed say that young people today are unprepared for teamwork and leadership.
Because of this, Wagner thinks that people involved in teaching and learning must rethink the way that they educate people in schools. So that these young people have the skills they need to achieve a successful career in the twenty first century.