What we should develop in our children — and in ourselves — by 2030/2035
A consolidated list of “future skills” for the 2030–2035 horizon, based on the most respected global research sources (WEF, OECD, UNESCO, McKinsey, World Bank).
Sergei Andriiashkin
Founder and Strategy Partner
Education
/
Oct 3, 2025
Below is a consolidated list of “future skills” for the 2030–2035 horizon, based on the most respected global research sources (WEF, OECD, UNESCO, McKinsey, World Bank).
Which ones do you agree with? Which ones would you challenge?
1) Meta-skills (learning faster, working more consciously)
Critical & systems thinking — ability to analyze complex situations, see cause-and-effect links, test hypotheses. Top skill in WEF-2025 & OECD Learning Compass-2030.
Creativity & value creation — generating new ideas and solutions under uncertainty; OECD calls it “creating new value,” WEF sees rising demand.
Adaptability & resilience — ability to adjust quickly to market/technology shocks; WEF marks sharp growth in importance by 2030.
Self-management & metacognition — goal-setting, planning, self-reflection, focus & energy management; core to OECD-2030 learner agency.
Continuous learning (learning agility) — ability to reskill quickly across domains; WEF-2025: 39% of core skills will change by 2030.
2) Human skills (what AI amplifies — not replaces)
Communication (verbal, written, visual) & structured reasoning — clarity of meaning across disciplines (WEF, McKinsey).
Cooperation & collaboration — working in distributed cross-functional teams; core to OECD-2030.
Empathy & socio-emotional skills, servant leadership — rising demand in McKinsey and UNESCO (new “social contract for education”).
Ethics, responsibility, civic mindset — OECD’s “taking responsibility”; critical for AI & data era.
3) Data, technology & AI
Data & AI literacy — understanding data, basic statistics, ML tools, generative AI; strong growth (McKinsey, WEF).
Digital security & cyber hygiene — safe tech use & privacy; WEF highlights cybersecurity roles rising sharply.
Computational & algorithmic thinking — breaking problems into steps for automation/code; strong upward trend.
Workflow automation / no-code & AI agents — designing processes with RPA/LLMs; McKinsey: up to 30% of work hours automated by 2030.
4) Business, product & entrepreneurship
Product thinking & customer-value creation — understanding needs, prioritizing, validating solutions (WEF value-creation focus).
Financial & economic literacy — making decisions under constraints; emphasized by World Bank.
Project discipline & operational skills — planning, OKRs, lean thinking; aligned with WEF’s demand for flexible management skills.
5) Sustainability & “green” competence
Environmental literacy & green skills — energy transition, resource efficiency, green careers; UNESCO & global labor studies show growth.
Systems thinking: human-technology-planet — reconciling economic vs ecological dilemmas; OECD calls it “reconciling tensions and dilemmas.”
6) Cross-cultural fluency & media literacy
Intercultural competence & global collaboration — thriving in multicultural environments; UNESCO emphasis on re-building social relations.
Media & information literacy — verifying sources, resisting misinformation; OECD/UNESCO frameworks for resilient societies.
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