Introducing the School Leavers Skills Pyramid

Think of it like building a house. You wouldn’t start with the roof, right? You need a solid foundation first- something strong enough to support everything else.

Each level of the Skills Pyramid builds on the one before it. If a young person doesn’t develop core qualities and soft skills first, then even the most impressive job-specific skills won’t get them very far.

The Skills Pyramid: The Foundation of Career Success

Let me introduce the Skills Pyramid—a practical framework that makes it clear:

✅ Personal qualities, soft skills, and digital & AI literacy are the foundation of all future skill development.

✅ Without these, no amount of technical expertise will set a young person up for long-term success.

✅ Employers can teach job-specific skills, but they can’t teach resilience, initiative, or reliability.

We all want the best for young people. Whether you're a parent, teacher, or mentor, your goal is to help them succeed. But here’s the reality check:

🤔 The world of work is evolving faster than ever.

🤔 The ‘get good grades → get a job’ formula is outdated.

🤔 The best thing we can do is help young people build real, adaptable and relevant skills employers want.

And that’s exactly where the Skills Pyramid comes in.

The Skills Pyramid Stacks Up Like This:

Qualities (The Foundation): Reliability, resilience, self-motivation, emotional intelligence.

Soft Skills: Communication, problem-solving, teamwork, adaptability.

Digital Literacy: Confidence in using digital tools & managing an online presence.

AI Literacy: Understanding AI’s role in work and how to use it effectively.

Job-Specific Skills (The Top Layer): The technical skills for a specific role.

Future Success Requires the Right Pre-Skills

Building the right foundation first is key.

Without reliability, resilience, and emotional intelligence, even the best technical skills will fall short. The Skills Pyramid helps young people build a mindset that allows them to adapt and thrive in any job, not just land one.

So, What’s Pre-Skilling?

Pre-skilling is the act of preparing young people with the right skills before they even step into their first job. It’s about making sure they have:

✅ The ability to learn, unlearn, and adapt.

✅ The mindset to navigate an unpredictable job market.

✅ A foundation that makes them future-ready, no matter what changes come their way.

It’s about thriving in the uncertain future of work, not just surviving.