Future Skills in an international perspective
Future skills, global skills, 21st century skills – what they all have in common is that they are supposed to represent the skills and competencies that will be needed in the future – very often for the labour market and the economy, but sometimes also for education or simply for future life and finding one's way in a society that seems to be becoming increasingly complex.
If future skills etc. are geared towards the future, are there not also present skills or past skills? The Renzulli Learning website, named after Joseph Renzulli, a well-known American educational scientist, summarises this very nicely for the field of education: ‘Essentially, the learning skills of the 20th century focused on memorisation and preparation for industrial occupations, while the skills of the 21st century focus on the development of critical thinking, problem-solving and collaboration skills in order to thrive in the information age.’ (Renzulli Learning - 21st Century Learning).
However, when reading this, one naturally wonders whether the 21st century or future skills mentioned are not already ‘present skills’ in many parts of the world. Michael Köttritsch also notes this in his speech bubble 559: ‘[It often goes unmentioned] that future skills also include a number of past skills in a new guise, which have long been necessary for coping with the present.’ (Köttritsch, Sprechblase 559, Die Presse 12.09.24, courtesy translation by N. Cohen, DBS).
The number and type of future skills varies depending on the author or organisation. In the field of education, the 4Cs (for competencies) are often used. These are: critical thinking, creativity, communication and collaboration.
The concept of future skills is often criticised for being primarily focused on the usability of human workforce in the economy or in the labour market. This is also a hotly debated topic.
The following dossier offers you an insight into the international discussion surrounding future skills based on studies, reports, rankings and much more.
Studies, Reports
The Future of Jobs Report (World Economic Forum) 
international
Overview page of the World Economic Forum on its report series ‘The Future of Jobs Report’, published every two years since 2016, which, among other things, provides an idea of what major employers worldwide understand by future skills. "The annual Future of Jobs Report explores how jobs and skills will evolve. The report is [...]
Global Competence (OECD) including "PISA 2018 Global Competence"
international
The OECD's "Global Competence" page covers the 2018 PISA study, which, in addition to the core competencies, also tested a so-called "global competence" as an innovative competence. The OECD defines global competence (in the singular!) as "multi-dimensional construct that requires a combination of knowledge, skills, attitudes and [...]
Future Skills Compared.
On the construction of a general framework model for future competencies in academic education.
"This paper describes how the variety of existing future skills approaches can be compared conceptually. For this purpose, a framework model for future skills is proposed, which contains 17 future skills profiles in three different categories. The skill names of the dozen or so future skills studies published in the German-speaking world since 2015 are assigned to the 17 [...]
European skills and jobs survey (ESJS)
Europe
This page is a comprehensive overview of the "European Skills and Jobs Survey (ESJS)" of CEDEFOP (European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training), containing numerous links. "The European skills and jobs survey (ESJS) is Cedefop’s own periodic EU-wide survey aimed at collecting information on the skill requirements, skill [...]
The Future of Knowledge: A Foresight Report 2018.
"This report by the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Knowledge Foundation (MBRF) in cooperation with the United Nations Development Programme / Regional Bureau for Arab States (UNDP/RBAS) presents a pilot study, covering 20 countries, on the future fields of knowledge that will shape the future of knowledge societies." It also addresses the concept of ‘future [...]
Future of Knowledge: A Foresight Report.
Leveraging Transformative Capacities to Meet Future Risks.
This 2022 edition of the Future of Knowledge Foresight Report series was again published by the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Knowledge Foundation (MBRF) in cooperation with the United Nations Development Programme / Regional Bureau for Arab States (UNDP/RBAS). It "comes at a time of considerable global uncertainty. It therefore seeks to inform ongoing discussions regarding [...]
WorldSkills Russia: Future Skills of the 2020s. A New Hope. Fall 2020
international
This report on Future Skills was initiated by WorldSkills Russia and conducted by Global Education Futures with support from WorldSkills International. Its goal was to identify the impact of skills change in various sectors and examine the implications for vocational education and training. Over 700 experts from 45 countries [...]
Kingston University Future Skills Reports
international; United Kingdom
Overview page of Kingston University in London on the topic of future skills. Among other things, it promotes and links to the university's Future Skills Report, which has been published almost every year since 2021 (except for 2024). It also provides further information on events, degree programs, etc. related to [...]
Assessments, Measurements, Rankings
The Global Knowledge Index (GKI)
international
The GKI was developed by the United Nations Development Programme - Regional Bureau for Arab States (UNDP RBAS) and the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Knowledge Foundation (MBRF) in 2017. It provides an overview of the diverse aspects of knowledge and development, essential for shaping informed development policies. It [...]
World Future Skills Index by QS (2025) [pdf]
international
This Future Skills Index was published by the British company Quacquarelli Symonds (QS). QS is already well known for its ‘THE-QS World University Rankings’, which have been compiled in partnership with the Times Higher Education (THE) magazine since 2004. The publication is subtitled ‘Transforming higher education for the [...]
Skills intelligence tool (Cedefop)
Europe
The Skills Intelligence Tool from Cedefop (European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training) offers a visual and data-linked presentation of all Cedefop studies, reports, and other data on the future of work and the skills needed for the European labor market in the future. You can browse through the following sections: [...]
Global Competence (OECD) including "PISA 2018 Global Competence"
international
The OECD's "Global Competence" page covers the 2018 PISA study, which, in addition to the core competencies, also tested a so-called "global competence" as an innovative competence. The OECD defines global competence (in the singular!) as "multi-dimensional construct that requires a combination of knowledge, skills, attitudes and [...]
Overview pages, programmes, initiatives
Future of Education and Skills 2030/2040 (OECD)
international
The OECD's "Future of Education and Skills 2030/2040" website offers comprehensive information and resources on the future of education and skills through 2023/40. The two topics, "Learning and Teaching for 2030/40" and "International Curriculum Analysis," each have their own tabs with information, further links, and resources. [...]
[21st Century Skills] Competencies for the future [courtesy translation]
international
The dossier about 21. Century Skills is only available in German. It includes a brief distinction from 'future skills', which are ‘primarily demanded by the economy’. At the same time, the dossier also attributes the spread of 21st century skills to economic organisations such as APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation) and [...]
European Skills Agenda
Europe
This is the European Commission's overview page on the new European Skills Agenda, which builds on the 2016 Agenda of the same name. The new Agenda's goals are set until 2025. You'll find the full text of the 2025 Agenda, a summary of the most important goals and points, and further links to the 2016 Agenda, news and events, and [...]
European Year of Skills 2023
Europe
The European Year of Skills was proclaimed by the European Union for 2023. It was intended to "give a fresh impetus to lifelong learning, empowering people and companies to contribute to the green and digital transitions, supporting innovation and competitiveness." Specifically, it was also intended to focus on the further development [...]
eTwinning annual theme 2025/2026: Skills for life
Europe
The European Commission's eTwinning program serves to digitally connect schools across Europe. Each year, a specific theme is announced for collaboration. In 2025/26, the theme is "Skills for Life". The website provides information about a "Basic Skills Action Plan" and calls for participation in the eTwinning working group "Basic [...]
News worldwide
- US Banned Books Week: "Censorship is so 1984! Read for your rights..." (DLF 10.10.25) [courtesy translation]
- For the Frankfurt Book Fair 2025: New dossier on education in the Philippines, this year's Guest of Honour
- Mobile phone use in schools in the USA, Great Britain, Ireland and Italy (DLF 09.09.25) [courtesy translation]
- OECD published its report "Education at a Glance 2025"
