A: In today’s job market, employers are looking for well-rounded people with a variety of skills – what one expert describes “the mindful worker.” Today, very few jobs are low skilled and repetitive. Most jobs are much more “mental” than in times past, and while employers expect potential employees to have the technical specialty to do the job, they also require strong skills in reading, writing, communicating, and math. Employers also expect employees to be able to work on a team, solve problems, have strong interpersonal skills, adapt to change, and think creatively. One Fortune 500 survey revealed the top three skills required in these companies to be teamwork, problem solving and interpersonal skills. If your child develops a solid foundation of academic skills, learns one or more technical skills, and develops strong interpersonal skills for interacting with fellow employees in a productive environment, he will have an excellent foundation for pursuing whatever career he chooses.

To read more about skills for success, check out the section in the website, “What Are Employers Looking for in Employees of the 21st Century,” or review the South Carolina Skills That Work survey at this site: www.sccc.org (Click Education).

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