Work-Based Learning for Enhancing Architecture Students' Sustainable 21st Century Skills

Twenty-First Century Skills

21st Century skills are the capabilities that today’s students should have to be successful in their careers during the Information Age. The Asia–Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) defines 21^st Century skills as the knowledge, skills, and attitudes essential to be competitive in the 21st century workforce, participate appropriately in an increasingly diverse society, use new technologies and cope with rapidly changing workplaces (APEC, 2008, cited in Scott, 2015). Voogt and Roblin (2012) defined 21st Century Skills as ‘new competencies’ that are increasingly demanded by employers or from the existing workforce and, in educational terms, of the youth who need to be skilled today for emerging future jobs and careers. According to the authors the term ‘21st Century Skills’ – is ‘an overarching concept for the knowledge, skills and dispositions that people need to be able to contribute to the knowledge society’ (Voogt & Roblin, 2012). Whilst Scott (2015, p.8) defines ‘21st Century Skills’ as ‘the knowledge, skills and attitudes needed to be competitive in the 21st Century workforce, participate appropriately in an increasingly diverse society, using new technologies and coping with fast changing workplaces.