Transferable skills development

An investment in their present and future

Desarrollo de habilidades transferibles
UNICEF/UN0364558/Casares

What are transferable skills?

They are skills we need to adapt at different times in life and which we can transfer across environments such as work, education, and social settings. Transferable skills are essential because they make it easier for us to develop other skills.

Children and adolescents need to develop transferable skills, as these enable them to become expert learners and citizens equipped to face personal, educational, social, and economic challenges.

Transferable skills are developed throughout life, through different modalities and in diverse contexts. They enable children and adolescents to function fully in various educational, social and emotional settings, including transitioning from school to work and into adulthood. 

Examples and relevance of transferable skills

Transferable Skills Circle
UNICEF

UNICEF's Global Framework on Transferable Skills highlights 12 transferable skills based on the four dimensions of learning. These life skills enable children and adolescents to become agents of change, impact their communities and contribute to economic growth and more equal and equitable societies.

Pillars
UNICEF

What do we do?

We focus on:

  • Generating evidence to support decision-making processes.
  • Influencing regulatory frameworks and public education policies to allocate increased efforts and investment to the comprehensive development of transferable skills.
  • Providing technical assistance to countries and partners to promote necessary curricular reforms, teacher training, innovation in teaching methodologies and allocation of human and financial resources.
  • Promoting and managing the exchange of experiences and lessons learned between countries (South-South Cooperation).
  • Working with our regional partners to encourage the participation of adolescents and young people in learning practical, transferable skills through social projects created by them.

Explore our resources

15 July 2022

Transferable Skills Development

Discussion paper
See the full report

Files available for download (2)

18 February 2022

The 12 Transferable Skills

The 12 Transferable Skills
See the full report

Files available for download (2)

14 May 2020

Plan 12 - Learn to transform

A plan created by and for young people to develop and put into practice 12 transferable skills for today's changing world.
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1 United Nations Children Fund, The Importance of Transferable Skills Development in Latin America and the Caribbean. Discussion paper, UNICEF, Panama City, 2021.