Future skills development

Future skills development focuses on equipping students with the knowledge, capabilities and attributes needed to thrive in a rapidly changing social, technological and employment landscape. Alongside disciplinary expertise, this includes the development of transferable skills such as critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, communication, digital fluency, adaptability and ethical awareness, enabling graduates to respond confidently to emerging challenges and opportunities (World Economic Forum, 2023; Advance HE, 2021). At the University of Bristol, this is articulated through the Bristol Skills Profile, which identifies the core skills and attributes that support students’ academic success, personal development and future employability. 

Embedding future skills development within curricula helps students make meaningful connections between their learning and wider societal and professional contexts. Approaches such as authentic assessment, interdisciplinary collaboration, project-based learning and reflective practice support students to apply knowledge in complex, real-world situations and to recognise and communicate the skills they are developing. 

Future skills development is therefore not an additional element alongside disciplinary learning, but an integral aspect of curriculum design that prepares students to contribute effectively and responsibly in a complex and evolving world. 

Current activities

BILT’s involvement with this theme includes:

• Funding of 12 Education Development Projects
• Engagement of a BILT Student Fellow (Amaya Lewis-Patel) in the theme area 
• Show, Tell and Talk workshops