"We aim to create an educational experience that enriches our students intellectually, socially and culturally.  Specifically, we seek to develop our students to be confident, resilient, creative, critical thinkers and problem solvers, with strong employability skills, prepared for leadership and citizenship in a global society and for the increasingly complex and challenging world into which they will graduate." (Queen's University Belfast Education Strategy 2016-2021)

THE 12 DEGREEPLUS/FUTURE READY SKILLS

This skills-set represents key competencies that employers have observed in those individuals who transform organisations and add value early in their careers.  

Cognitive/intellectual skills, such as:

1. Problem solving:  Ability to analyse issues, identify barriers and offer/implement potential solutions. This may involve prioritising tasks, coping with complexity, setting achievable goals and taking action.  It may also involve innovation at relevant points.
2. Applying subject knowledge and understanding: potentially from the degree pathway.

Professional attributes/attitudes such as:

1. Communication skills: the ability to communicate effectively in a range of professional contexts (both orally and in writing).
2. Teamwork: the ability to work with others in a team, to communicate, influence, negotiate, demonstrating adaptability/flexibility, creativity, initiative, leadership and decision-making.
3. Interpersonal skills:  includes ability to engage with and motivate others, sensitivity, global and cultural awareness, moral and ethical awareness and the ability to adjust behaviour accordingly.
4. Leadership skills: leading other individuals or groups through a set of complex decisions as part of goal achievement within projects or significant and challenging activities.  

Technical skills such as:

1. Utilise modern technology:associated with work place or work-related activity. 
2. Information technology skills: includes ability to learn, apply and exploit relevant IT programmes.

Business and organisational skills such as:

1. Business operational skills/ Commercial awareness: understanding of relevant commercial, marketing, management and/or financial processes/principles. Awareness of differences in organisational cultures and practices.
2. Business communication skills:  Written, verbal and/or online.

Language Skills and Cultural Awareness

1. Proficiency in foreign languages: developed through courses or overseas experiences.

1. Cultural awareness/intelligence: and the ability to implement this in a variety of multicultural contexts.