Job seekers need to be armed with marketable language capabilities and essential soft skills for a globally hyper-connected work forum
English has evolved from a global language to a critical 21st century skill. Proficiency in English opens doors to countless opportunities, empowering individuals to compete, access international education, and thrive in the knowledge-based global job market. Fluency in English is now a prerequisite for many positions. Mastering this language has become a necessity in today's interconnected world. This is evident by the findings of the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation and consulting firm Sattva’s report, which states that English proficiency is a ‘must have’ for 73 per cent of job roles.
Sustainable Employment and Career Advancement
Proficiency in English unlocks a multitude of benefits. It enables individuals to communicate effectively with colleagues, clients and stakeholders from different cultural and linguistic backgrounds, fostering collaboration and expanding business horizons. Moreover, English proficiency empowers professionals to access global resources.
English proficiency also plays a pivotal role in career advancement. It provides individuals with the confidence and ability to present their ideas persuasively, participate in meetings and negotiations and demonstrate leadership qualities. Additionally, English fluency enhances critical thinking and problem-solving skills, enabling professionals to navigate complex challenges.
Aligns International Workbenches
English is imperative to align international workbenches because it is the most widely spoken language. It is the language of international business, science and technology. As a result, it is the language of choice for communication and collaboration between people from different countries.
Consolidating the argument, ‘English at Work: Global Analysis of Language Skills in the Workplace’ reported in 2016 that 64% of employers in India offer better packages to applicants with quality English communication skills.
In addition, English proficiency serves as a gateway to valuable skilling resources. Many educational programs, online courses and professional certifications are offered in English, providing individuals access to cutting-edge knowledge and skill development opportunities.
Soft Skills and Technical Know-How
English has been globally proven and accepted as a compulsory skill of this century and potentially of many industrial evolutions to come. Hence, augmenting learners at the university level with English language acquisition abilities is a crucial step to engendering a professional paradigm with job-ready individuals.
Although, the lingering gap is a matter of deep review. As far as adult education is concerned, higher educational institutes may need a profound re-analysis of new-age industry needs.
Another pertinent method to forge equity in the working tier of India is for multinational corporations to equip their employees with sharp English language skills by adopting Learning & Development interventions. Technology and digital innovations can lead to personalised, scalable, and well-targeted results to accomplish the same.
Better English, Better Business
English is a global catalyst of business acumen and personal success. A pre-requisite for high-end employment, English is declared as the official language of communication by many corporations. Multinationals are vibrant spaces with linguistic, cultural, economic, political and social diversity. The professional population needs to be armed with marketable English language capabilities and essential soft skills to qualify for a globally hyper-connected work forum.
(The writer is CEO, of Burlington Group of Companies, Asia Pacific)