Life skills encompass the abilities that help individuals handle daily challenges, make thoughtful decisions, and collaborate effectively with others. Beyond academics, they enhance how students think, communicate, and manage themselves in real-life situations.
Life skills are important to success in any situation, whether it is solving a problem in school, motivating people at work, or addressing a new or changing context.
Both soft skills (communication, adaptability, and people management) and hard skills (technical skills) are equally important for personal development. With the right training and education, people can overcome their fears, build their self-identity, and develop themselves for a lifetime of personal and professional growth.
What are life skills?
Life skills are practical capabilities that assist us in living an engaged and productive life. These include critical thinking, problem solving, flexibility/adaptability, communication, and interpersonal skills. As a whole, they can assist people to become effective communicators, responsible decision-makers, useful team players, and effective leaders.
The World Health Organization (WHO) states that life skills are “abilities for adaptive and positive behaviour that enable individuals to deal effectively with the demands and challenges of everyday life.”
Life skills affect success in school and the workplace. For example, strong communication skills and teamwork not only allow students to feel confident presenting but also to participate in corporate meetings.
Educational institutions across India, including leading schools in Telangana, are incorporating life skills into everyday learning. This approach ensures that students not only excel academically but also develop the confidence and adaptability needed to succeed beyond the classroom.
Why life skills are important in early development
Childhood is the most important phase for developing life skills. The skills learners develop, like problem-solving, collaboration, resilience, and decision-making, are basic skills for personal development and career advancement in adulthood.
For example, children who adapt to a new environment, e.g., moving to a different school, develop confidence and resilience. Similarly, children become good communicators and learn collaboration through group projects and sports.
According to UNICEF, children who develop social and emotional skills at an early age are more willing to be successful academically and professionally. Early experiences allow students to believe in themselves and prepare them for ongoing success later in life.
Key features of life skills in personal and professional growth
Personal empowerment
Life skills allow people to face their fears, develop confidence, and adjust to challenges that result in empowerment, where they accept responsibility for their own personal development.
Communication and people management
Effective communication and people management skills are important for becoming a good communicator and an effective leader. In fact, GMAC surveyed in 2018 and found that 57% of global employers ranked communication as the most desirable skill in potential hires.
Adjusting to a changed environment
Adaptability is considered one of the most critical professional soft skills. According to a survey from Express Employment Professionals, 75% of employers identified adaptability as one of the most powerful skills they look for in employees.
Integration with training and education
At schools like Delhi Public School in Warangal, life skills training goes beyond traditional classroom lessons. Students participate in structured role-plays, leadership camps, and debates designed to simulate real-world scenarios.
According to DPS Warangal’s annual report, over 85% of students report improved confidence and problem-solving abilities after participating in these programs, showing how such activities complement academics while fostering practical skills.
Benefits and challenges of developing life skills
Career readiness
Research by JTech found that more than 75% of organizations recognize that soft skills are equally important to hard skills or even more impactful in the job search. It highlights how life skills strengthen hard skills, helping students perform better in professional settings.
Confidence and resilience:
Training in life skills supports individuals in believing in themselves and positively responding to failure.
Teamwork and empathy:
Life skills help students develop empathy and a sense of social responsibility, leading many to participate in community service, peer mentoring, and environmental initiatives that positively impact society.
Career development:
Life skills strengthen career development and its relevance to personal and professional development, facilitating success in both academia and employment.
Impacts on your personal life:
Life skills matter to your personal life too, from stress management to improved decision-making, all of which positively impact one’s personal and academic life.
Challenges
- There are not enough school and industry skill training programs in place, they focus instead on academics.
- Students are burdened with grades, leaving no room for soft skill development.
- Mentors and teachers are vital to productively and responsibly develop leadership and communication.
- Creating a fragile balance between skill training and academics can be a persistent challenge for institutions.
Examples of life skills in education and career
At the top national school in Telangana, students are taught life skills such as.
- Leadership clubs to build confidence.
- Debates and discussions to develop good communicators.
- Group projects to produce teamwork and people management.
In professional careers, these same skills prepare employees to deal with the changing environment, resolve conflict, and manage teams – showing that life skills are integral to success.
How schools and institutions foster life skills
Institutions such as Delhi Public School in Warangal are key players in developing holistic learners in the following areas.
- Public speaking opportunities for confidence building.
- Role-play and presentations to support effective communication.
- Outdoor camps and leadership-type experiences to develop student adaptability and resilience.
These schools will also ensure that students gain more than academic knowledge because they provide education that blends and balances training and education.
How to encourage individuals to develop life skills
Parents, teachers, and mentors can help by:
- Encouraging self-reflection and curiosity about new experiences.
- Assigning collaborative, group work that develops teamwork and people management.
- Sustaining experiences in the real world that develop the skill of problem finding and problem solving.
Wrapping it up
Life skills play a key role in student development, supporting success in academics, careers, and life. Delhi Public School, Warangal, includes experiential workshops, leadership activities, and community projects into its curriculum, equipping students with confidence, adaptability, and social responsibility that extend beyond the classroom.
By developing and mastering these skills, individuals can confront fears, adapt to an ever-changing environment, and help to create a positive impact within society. Life skills will ensure an individual has resilience and success and is fulfilled for the rest of their life.