Confidence, creativity, critical thinking, and independence are Gen Z’s top skills for success, according to Nord Anglia research

New research from leading international schools organisation Nord Anglia Education highlights the key ‘skills for life’ young adults believe are critical for future success, beyond academic results. According to Gen Z, confidence, creativity, critical thinking, and independence are the most essential skills for navigating higher education and transitioning into their careers.

The research was conducted by Kantar, using their global consumer panel, to reach over 1,500 18–25-year-olds from across the US, UK, and India.

 

Confidence counts most of all

When it comes to the skills Gen Z would have liked their education to help them further develop:

Confidence is the most valued skill, with 45% of Gen Z agreeing that their education could have helped them to develop more in this area, recognising its importance for both their personal and professional success. This was felt most strongly by Gen Z in India (55%), followed by 18–25-year-olds in the US (40%), and in the UK (39%).

As one Gen Z respondent in the UK, said: “Confidence helps with job interviews, relationships and everyday life.”

A young adult from India also said: “Being confident is the first step to starting anything. If you’re not confident in yourself, then whatever you try, you won’t achieve your goals.”

Critical thinking is also key, with 40% of young adults agreeing that they would have liked to have developed more of this ‘skill for life’ at school. 47% of respondents think that developing this skill would have made them more confident in handling challenging situations later in life.

Creativity and independence also stand out, with 38% of Gen Z stating that developing these skills would have improved their ability to come up with ideas by themselves and make decisions without relying on others. 

A young adult from the UK said: “I think, as an adult, independence and being able to strive alone is a crucial skill that a lot of adults don’t have—it’s not a key skill that’s learned in school.”

Another highlighted the importance of creativity in today’s job market, saying: “I really am not very creative, and a lot of jobs need creativity.”

 

Becoming better thinkers at school

When it comes to learning, 71% of all respondents said they would have liked to have been taught at school how to better understand their own thinking and learning processes.

These skills, also known as metacognition, help students learn more effectively. 28% of all respondents felt that their grades would have improved if they had been taught how to maximise their learning potential.

One Gen Z’er in the US said: “I was never taught how to learn. People have different patterns of learning, and I didn’t know mine until well into college. This would’ve helped my grades drastically.”

Another from the UK agreed: “If I knew how to learn more effectively my grades would have been much better.”

Dr Elise Ecoff, Chief Education Officer at Nord Anglia Education, said: “In Gen Z’s opinion, developing greater confidence, creativity and independence at school would have made a big difference to their lives as young adults. It’s why our metacognition research with Boston College is helping us to find new ways for our students to nurture these ‘skills for life’ inside and outside of the classroom. Our initial findings suggest there is strong connection between having these kinds of skills and being a more confident learner.”

Nord Anglia’s research into metacognition-focused teaching practices is part of a two-year research partnership with Boston College. Through this collaboration, Nord Anglia has developed innovative educational practices that are already benefiting students across its global network. The research is featured in Nord Anglia’s ‘Building Better Thinkers’ whitepaper.