Transversal skills are universally applicable abilities that remain essential despite the constant evolution of the job market and specific hard skills. Learn about the crucial role of transversal skills and why educational systems are increasingly incorporating them into the curriculum to prepare students for success across various contexts.
As we often hear, schools are preparing students for careers that do not yet exist. While it may be true in terms of career titles and the hard skills that are necessary to successfully engage in a career, the transversal skills needed have been mostly the same for the past 30 years. So what are transversal skills? The term "transversal skills" reflects the understanding that certain skills are universally applicable and essential for success in various aspects of life, including work, education, and personal development. These transferable skills are abilities and attributes that are applicable across various jobs and industries. They are not specific to a particular job or field but are valuable in many different contexts.
In education, we are always giving things titles and in this case, it is no different. These skills and habits are often referred to in part, as:
- Durable skills
- Soft skills
- Workplace competencies
- Social & emotional learning competencies
- 21st-century skills
- Future-ready skills
Transversal skills grew out of the transferable skills movement during the mid-and late 20th century when the national economy was undergoing significant changes and industries were evolving. The nature of work shifted and the need for workers to adapt and apply their skills across different jobs and sectors became more apparent bringing about the concept of transfer skills. The term transversal skills was developed to emphasize the importance of skills that are not confined to a specific job or sector, or one country. Organizations such as UNESCO and the OECD have promoted the development of transversal skills to address the challenges of a rapidly changing world. These and other global organizations use these skills as part of many educational frameworks.
In the United States, America Succeeds analyzed 80 million job postings from 2020-2021 and found that 7 of the 10 most-requested skills are durable skills. And, the top 5 durable skills were requested in job postings 4.7 times more often than the top 5 hard skills (America Succeeds, 2024). Durable skills were described as a combination of how you use what you know – skills like critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and creativity – as well as character skills like fortitude, growth mindset, and leadership. Durable skills are often discussed in the context of career resilience and long-term employability, while transversal skills are frequently mentioned in educational and training contexts, especially in relation to preparing students for a variety of future roles.
Another crucial component of transversal skills is social and emotional competencies (SEL). While social and emotional competencies are more specific to emotional intelligence and social interactions, both do include soft skills that are important for personal and professional growth and development. Both types of skills are considered crucial for students’ long-term success and adaptability in various life situations.
Connecting these ideas into school systems, many create Portraits or Profiles of a Graduate based upon these transversal skills and ideas. A school system's "Portrait of a Graduate" is typically determined through a collaborative process that involves various stakeholders in the local educational community. Battelle for Kids (2024) shares that the end result of this collaboration is to identify the skills, dispositions, and competencies students need for success in this rapidly changing, complex world by implementing this shared vision. These attributes reinforce a foundation for the mission and vision of the educational process in that students are not only ready for the current job market but also equipped to adapt to future changes and challenges both personally and professionally.
As we think about what this means for teaching and learning, it reinforces the belief that it is not just what we teach, but also how we teach it. School curriculum is stuffed with federal, state, and local obligations. Teachers can not teach one more thing. What makes the integration of the practice of transversal skills possible is that to promote the practice of these skills in all classrooms, educators can adjust and/or change how they teach. So what does this potentially look like and what instructional strategies can be engaged? We will discuss this in my next post!
This article is part of a series on fostering innovation. Click below to read parts 1 and 3:
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About the Author:
Dr. David L. Reese serves as Chief Academic Officer for Defined Learning. During the past twenty years, Dr. Reese has served K-12 students as a science teacher, Curriculum Specialist, and Central Office Administrator. He has taught Masters and Doctoral courses in all areas of curriculum and professional development leadership. His work focuses on providing students with engaging, relevant learning opportunities designed to encourage students to apply content from a local, national, and international perspective.
