Building Skills

If you're at school you'll probably be wondering, is what I'm learning relevant to my future? The answer is yes - but there's a lot of learning that can be done outside the classroom too and that's where building skills comes in.

People are often surprised to find that doors open when they possess skills they've taken for granted - like typing. Learning keyboard skills can become a great asset to your working life and it's now becoming part of a broader 'using technology' skill.

The benefits of typing are not just mechanical either:

  • Reading, spelling and punctuation improve
  • Concentration tends to be enhanced
  • Presentation of work is of a higher standard
  • You'll be able to work independently when starting a job

Skill building and updating provides flexibility throughout life, not just when you finish school - it can help prepare you for a stint at university, or for reintroduction to study or work. People who have taken a break to travel or raise a family often find it useful to revisit their skills and update them if necessary.


There is broad agreement that all young people need a set of skills and attributes that will prepare them for both employment and further learning. In 2002, the Business Council of Australia (BCA) and the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI) produced the report Employability Skills for the Future on behalf of DEST and ANTA. The report aimed to improve the understanding of what employers consider makes a good employee as well as to stimulate further work in employability skill development in Australian education and training.

The key skills identified in conjunction with the personal attributes make up the Employability Skills Framework are:

  • communication skills that contribute to productive and harmonious relations between employees and customers;
  • team work skills that contribute to to innovative outcomes;
  • initiative and organising skills that contribute to long-term and short-term strategic planning;
  • self-management skills that contribute to employee satisfaction and growth;
  • learning skills that contribute to ongoing improvement and expansion in employee and company operations;
  • technology skills that contribute to effective execution of tasks.

The Employability Skills Framework also incorporates the following personal attributes that contribute to overall employability:

  • loyalty
  • commitment
  • honesty and integrity
  • enthusiasm
  • reliability
  • personal presentation
  • commonsense
  • positive self-esteem
  • sense of humour
  • balanced attitude towards work and home life
  • ability to deal with pressure
  • motivation
  • adaptability.

View the full report    

There are a few things you can do to get ahead and build skills outside the classroom:

  • Find a business you're interested in and ask to do some work experience - it could be anything from your local cafĂ© to working at Sony on the next version of PlayStation - dare to try, you never know.
  • Volunteer for a charity - volunteering is a great way to have fun and learn new skills at the same time. Check out: Volunteering Australia  You are now leaving the DEST website  .
  • Do an online course - the Internet is full of exciting things to learn in a flexible way.
  • Find out about scholarships, grants and award programs such as the Duke of Edinburgh Awards  You are now leaving the DEST website  - stretch your imagination and win the opportunity of a lifetime.
  • Consider being an exchange student - save for a trip or swap places with a student from overseas.
  • Learn another language or public speaking - you may think it's hard, but once you've been exposed to another language you'll have a valuable and fun skill.
  • Take up a sport - a great way to learn about team building, leadership, strategy and communication.
  • Learn to type, it's no longer just for secretaries and you can do it online!
  • Learn to use common computer programs such as MS Word at school or on your home computer.
  • Get involved with youth competitions and programs such as Nescafe Big Break  You are now leaving the DEST website