Broader Ideas of Assessment Unlock Potential in Young Lives

The economics of education have changed. It is no longer enough for young people to absorb and play back knowledge. In the digital age young people also need a broader array of skills and capabilities, to be empathetic and agile thinkers and to draw on their innately human skills to tackle challenges.

It is time we stopped pitting knowledge against skills and capabilities.

Often students don't get the opportunity to discover their passion or understand their skills and capabilities and where they might go next. Or they might not have had the chance to demonstrate their ability, with rigid assessment tasks preventing them from accessing their talents.

Misalignment between the labour market and young people means employers cannot find the employees they want, and young people are trained for jobs that do not exist.

Students benefit when they are recognised for a broader range of measures, these benefits also extend to teachers and the school community and could deliver between $2.1 to $5 billion for the economy each year.

They are more motivated to finish secondary school when the schooling system values their capabilities more effectively and they are more aware of positive pathways.

Helping young people better understand and communicate their strengths assists with improved job readiness, better health, and stronger workforce participation.

The likely economic impact of recognising a broader skill set in young people is as much as $260,000 in added economic value for individuals between the ages of 21 and 30 largely due to more effective transitions into further education and employment.

Credentials like learner profiles are already being used by learners as higher education institutions and employers want to see more than traditional ranks and scores as ATAR, our current measure for success at the end of year 12, is already significantly out of date and not used by 75% of young people.

The findings come from Learning Creates Australia who analysed the potential economic benefits of recognising young people beyond their grades and traditional metrics.

CEO Bronwyn Lee says that this economic evidence means, “We have an opportunity to stop tinkering around the edges and redefine learning success so that we are recognising the full range of young people’s capabilities and setting them up for success throughout their lives.”

See: The economics of effective transitions: Improving young people’s transitions through clearer pathways