It is essential to help young people confidently enter the world of work with all the skills and knowledge they need to succeed. It’s a concept we call Commercial Ability. It underpins everything we do by giving grants and advocating for wider change across education and training.
Commercial Ability gives our young people a chance to understand how workplaces operate. It equips them with practical skills to use in the real world. It allows them to acquire basic skills, appreciate appropriate workplace attitudes and behaviours, and gain the transferable skills they need to make a meaningful contribution from the start of their careers. It also enables them to develop their abilities throughout their working life and profit from lifelong learning.
CET has divided Commercial Ability into five pillars. These cover the skills, knowledge and understanding that help young people transition into work. We believe that it is a comprehensive overview of all the elements required to develop rewarding careers.
The five pillars can be combined as necessary. Some may be more relevant to one career journey than another. But all are necessary to some degree and they work together to offer the right mix of knowledge, understanding, attitudes and skills to equip young people for success.
By building wider awareness of Commercial Ability, we will help educators, trainers, employers, third sector organisations and policymakers better understand their role in preparing our young people for a fulfilling future, while creating a more productive, prosperous society.
