EQUIPPING HIGHER EDUCATION STUDENTS WITH THE 21ST CENTURY SKILLS BEYOND COMPUTER AND TECHNOLOGICAL SKILLS FOR FUTURE EFFECTIVE PARTICIPATION IN THE GLOBAL ECONOMY

Abstract

Equipping Higher Education students with 21^st century skills for future effective participation in the global economy is a call for proper attention on the skills needed by our 21^st century students to effectively participate in the future and its global economy. The skills they learn should reflect the specific demands that is placed upon them in a complex, competitive, knowledge-based, information-age, technology-driven economy and society. This paper, therefore, discussed the learning skills of critical thinking, creative thinking, collaboration and communication. It stated by explaining the meaning of skill. It then discussed the 21^st century skill, defined Computer and Technological skills and the Global economy as well as discussed, the importance of the 21^st century skills. The paper ex-rayed how students can be equipped with the 21^st century skills and the arguments for and against its teaching. The paper went on to make five useful suggestions for addressing the teaching of the 21^st century skill. Finally, it concludes with a call for the inclusion of the 21^st century learning skills in the curriculum of the higher educational institutions to improve the manpower preparation beyond Computer and Technological skills for future effective participation in the Global economy.

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