Future Ready Skills

At NAF, we’re helping students develop transferable and durable skills so that they can become successful no matter the path to success that they choose after high school.

Outcomes-Driven Work-Based Learning / Future Ready Skills

Growing Skills as a Measure of Student Success

Our six Future Ready Skills are one of the three essential elements of NAF’s Outcomes-Driven Work-Based Learning. Throughout the NAF student journey, students work towards developing these six skills through work-based learning activities that range from guest speakers to job shadows to internships. Students receive feedback from industry professionals, Advisory Board members, and/or local community professionals, and learn how to articulate their strengths.

Explore Our 6 Future Ready Skills

These skills were carefully selected after working with MHA Labs to build upon their thorough research and holding conversations across the NAF network:

Collaboration

Beyond working well as a member of a team, students learn how to create space and respect for what others bring to the table, give and receive feedback, and resolve challenges that emerge.

Communication

Our students learn how to be mindful of the needs of those who they’re interacting with. Adapting strategies, listening actively, and asking questions are all aspects of effective communication.

Problem Solving

It’s not a matter of “if” roadblocks and challenges will pop up, it’s a matter of “when” and it’s so important for students to be ready for this aspect of professional life. Through hands-on learning experiences, our students assess and anticipate problems and come up with ways to solve them.

Initiative & Self Direction

Initiative & self-direction encompasses qualities like adaptability, grit, and motivation but also specific skills like project management. Given the pace of the world of work and the many tasks on everyone’s plates, managers want people who can operate independently, remain focused and dedicated to their projects, and are willing to push through obstacles.

Social Awareness

Our students focus on social impact, integrity, and ethics. Social awareness is about recognizing and respecting others and building awareness and empathy.

Planning for Success

Throughout the NAF student journey, our students set goals and map the path to achieve them, and learn how to manage time effectively, making changes as needed.

“My NAF experience has allowed me to apply the skills I was learning in the classroom to the real world and was a stepping stone for everything I would encounter in college.” - Olivia Bene, Test Systems Engineer at RTX, NAF Academy of Engineering, Class of 2019

Explore NAF's Products and Approach

Outcomes-Driven Work-Based Learning

We’ve shifted our approach to hands-on learning to focus on student-centered outcomes.

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Future Ready Learning

With greater access and opportunity, students can move toward success. That’s why we’ve made our curricula and projects publicly available.

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Career Pathways

NAF offers resources, including curricula and work-based learning, for academies focused on five growing industries and supports additional programs of study.

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