This NFER report investigates cross-country differences in young people’s cognitive, socio-emotional and self-management skills and identifies education system factors that are associated with ‘high-performing’ countries.
It found that young people in England lag behind their international peers in key skills needed for the future job market. The study, which compared cognitive, socio-emotional and self-management skills across different countries, revealed that English teenagers have weaker socio-emotional skills by the end of secondary school compared to other OECD nations. The research also highlighted that inequalities in these skills are greater in England than in any other country included in the data.
While students in England generally perform better than the OECD average in maths, reading and science, the report found these advantages come with persistent inequalities that have failed to narrow over time. There was some positive news, with post-16 literacy and numeracy skills showing significant improvement over the past 10-15 years, though the report notes England started from a low base and still has room for further progress.
The study warns that with major changes expected in the jobs market over the next decade, young people need to be better equipped with essential employability skills (EES) to access growing professional occupations. These roles typically require higher qualifications and stronger cognitive and socio-emotional abilities. The report emphasises the close relationship between these different skill sets, suggesting that improvements in one area could positively impact others.
Researchers identified several high-performing education systems that England could learn from, analysing case studies from seven countries. The findings point to potential policy changes that could address England's skills gaps, including earlier focus on socio-emotional development and reducing inequalities in cognitive skill building.