Are We Focusing on the Skills That Truly Shape a Young Person's Future?

Verdant
Nov 27
3 min read

Earlier this year, during the Coalition to Honour All Learning Conference, I found myself in a wide-ranging discussion with colleagues about the skills that underpin what's been called human flourishing. Grades or rankings didn't come close as talking points. We spoke about thinking, relating, managing pressure, navigating digital complexity, and building meaning in an increasingly interconnected world.

That evening I found myself jotting down the first sketch of what would become the Whole-Child Competency Model (WCCM). It wasn’t planned. It wasn’t a strategic initiative. It was simply the articulation of something many educators sense instinctively, but I wanted to solidify the ideas from the morning and capture it in a single framework.

The model emerged from experience, dialogue, and a sprinkle of intuition. Afterwards, I went to work, mapped it onto research from UNESCO, WHO, and the Human Givens Emotional Needs Audit (ENA) to give it some balance. The pieces seemed to align.

**Whole-Child Competency Model (Verdant Consultancy)**

Why “Whole-Child”?

The model is named for what it attempts to honour: Not just academic ability, but the whole constellation of competencies that shape a our growth.

The framework rests on three interconnected pillars.

1. Cognitive Resilience

Positioned at the “head” of the diagram, this refers to a student’s ability to think flexibly, stay composed, adapt, and recover from challenge. It includes:

focus and attentional control
task-switching and adaptability
calm problem-solving
the ability to revise a plan when faced with obstacles

The Emotional Need Audit (ENA) reminds us that when emotional needs such as security, autonomy, and belonging are met, the mind becomes naturally more resilient and creative (Human Givens Institute, 2023). Parents and teachers see cognitive resilience when a child restarts an assignment calmly, persists through difficulty, or considers new strategies independently. We can see this in educators, when they need to adapt a lesson plan to the ebbs and flows of the students in front, or next to them.

2. Interpersonal + Intrapersonal Competency

This represents the “heart” of the model and aligns closely with UNESCO’s “transformative competencies”. These skills enable individuals to navigate change, build relationships, collaborate, and develop emotional self-awareness.

This area includes:

empathy
communication
emotional regulation
understanding one’s inner world
navigating conflict respectfully

These competencies profoundly shape how students participate in learning communities. You can see them when a teenager regulates their anxiety before an exam, or when a student mediates group work with maturity, or when a teachers personalises learning.

3. Technology Competency

Represented by the “hands,” this refers to digital literacy, not just technical skill but responsible, wise, and intentional use of technology. The WHO emphasises digital literacy as a protective factor in youth wellbeing (WHO, 2020).

This section includes:

healthy boundaries
evaluating information critically
digital organisation
balancing online/offline activity
ethical online behaviour

Families often notice this when a student manages research independently or navigates digital tasks thoughtfully. Educators can show this by looking how responsible use of technology can lead to good.

These skills are non-negotiables, not “extras,” not “soft skills,” but core predictors of confidence, wellbeing, and long-term academic and personal success. You hear it everyday, even from top tech companies - they are not looking for memorisers and drone bees, they're looking for doers, creators and thinkers.

Where This Could Go: Admission,Schools, and the Future

Many schools and universities are beginning to acknowledge that grades alone cannot capture a learner’s potential. Models like this and assessments such as the ENA or the learner passport could enrich admissions processes by highlighting self-management, emotional intelligence, adaptability, and digital maturity. Methods and tools that explore the whole student could help promote equitable and more ethical practices too.

There are already seeing early signs: interviews focusing on reflection, portfolios that capture process, and competency-based admissions in innovative institutions.

This model aligns with that future. Let's hope that this path is followed with stronger dedication from more traditional institution and admissions offices globally.

Five Things Parents & Teachers Can Do Today

Narrate your own decision-making. Show children what thinking looks like.
Create small choices. Autonomy builds resilience.
Use emotional vocabulary casually. Make feelings discussable, not dramatic.
Model digital discernment. Compare sources, question online content, discuss your digital boundaries.
Praise strategies, not results. Shift value toward process and learning.

Why Mentorship Is Becoming Essential

These competencies develop best through reflective conversation, guidance, and structured exploration, not by chance. Mentorship provides the context in which young people integrate thinking, wellbeing, relationships, and digital literacy into a coherent sense of self.

If you want a student to grow across all three domains, Verdant provides guided, research-informed pathways for developing the whole learner.