What are transferable skills?
A skill is something you can do well because you practised it. A transferable skill can be moved (transferred) from one situation to another.
Knowing the dates of a war is knowledge. Being able to check if a source is reliable is a skill you can use in history, science, news and shopping.
Why they matter
- They help in every subject, not only one.
- They help you learn new things faster all your life.
- Employers often say these skills matter as much as marks.
- They help you get along with family, friends and your community.
The seven big transferable skills
- Critical thinking and problem solving: ask questions, check facts, compare ideas, find solutions.
- Innovation, creativity and entrepreneurship: come up with new ideas and turn them into action.
- Self-directed learning: set goals, plan, manage time, keep going when it is hard, and reflect on what worked.
- Collaboration: share work, respect others, solve disagreements, give and take feedback.
- Communication: speak, listen, read, write and use pictures or media clearly, for the right purpose and audience.
- Global citizenship and sustainability: understand different cultures and points of view, act fairly, care for the planet.
- Digital literacy: find, judge and create information with technology safely, kindly and honestly (no copying, protect privacy).
Using transferable skills to communicate
In language and English lessons the skills work together:
- Reading: critical thinking helps you spot the main idea, bias and evidence.
- Writing: creativity gives fresh ideas; self-directed learning helps you plan, draft, revise and edit.
- Speaking and listening: communication and collaboration help in group talks, debates and presentations: take turns, build on others' ideas, disagree politely.
- Media: digital literacy helps you judge a website, a video or an ad, and make your own media responsibly.
- Many voices: global citizenship helps you read texts from many cultures with respect.
Purpose and audience
Ask two questions before you speak or write: Why am I communicating (inform, persuade, entertain, ask)? Who is listening (a friend, a teacher, an employer)? Then choose your words, tone and format.
How to build your skills (and the problem-solving ladder)
The problem-solving ladder
- Understand the problem.
- Think of many ideas.
- Choose the best one (compare pros and cons).
- Try it.
- Check the result and improve.
Grow any skill
- Practise a little, often.
- Reflect: after a task ask "What went well? What will I change?"
- Ask for feedback and use it.
- Name your skills in a portfolio or CV with a real example ("I led a team of 4 to make a recycling video").
Try it
Think of one task you did this week (cooking, a game, homework, helping a neighbour). Write down which of the seven skills you used and one way to do better next time.
Key formulas and definitions
- Transferable skill = a skill learned in one place that works in many places
- 7 skills: critical thinking, creativity, self-directed learning, collaboration, communication, global citizenship, digital literacy
- Problem-solving ladder: understand → ideas → choose → try → check
- Before communicating: purpose (why?) + audience (who?)
- Skill growth = practice + reflection + feedback
Worked examples
1. Riya checks three websites before using a fact in her history project. Which skill is this?
Critical thinking (with digital literacy): she checks if the source is reliable before trusting it.
2. In a group poster, two students disagree about the title. Show how collaboration helps.
Each explains their reason, the group lists both ideas, they vote or combine them ("Save Water, Save Life"), and everyone moves on to the next job. They respect each other and share the work.
3. Tom learned to give clear instructions in a science lab. Name two other places this skill transfers to.
Coaching a younger child in sport, and explaining a job to a new worker. Clear step-by-step communication works in both.
4. You must email a company to ask for a summer job. Use purpose and audience to plan it.
Purpose: to ask for a job politely and show you are a good fit. Audience: an employer, so a formal tone, a clear subject line, a short greeting, two or three sentences about your skills with examples, and a polite closing.
Common mistakes
- Thinking transferable skills are only for jobs. They help in every subject and in daily life right now.
- Mixing up knowledge and skills. Facts are knowledge; being able to use, check or explain them is a skill.
- Believing you are born with skills or without them. Skills grow with practice and reflection.
- Writing the same way for every audience. A message to a friend and an email to a principal need different tone and format.