Why Self-Intelligence Should Be The Top Skill You Look For When Hiring

GENEVIEVE AMARAL Dean, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences

Sheridan College

Earlier this year, Sheridan launched a new Board Undergraduate Certificate in Resilience, Ethics and Adaptation. Here, Genevieve Amaral, Dean, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences discusses the importance of agility and creativity in today’s world.

When businesses hire college students, it’s with the knowledge that these new grads have learned the specific academic and technical skills to succeed in the workplace at that given time.

But, as we all know, nothing stays the same for long. How can you ensure your employees are poised for success in the face of inevitable change?

According to the 2023 Future of Jobs Report, self-efficacy, interpersonal and creativity skills are among the top nine most important core skills required of workers today. The 2024 Creative AI Job Report, meanwhile, notes recruiting teams are seeking new employees who stand out as resilient, life-long learners because they have sought out skilling or re-skilling in their degrees or through alternate education programs.

As educators, Sheridan believes higher education institutions play an essential role in preparing workers for the new jobs ecosystem by helping bridge the skill development gap.

Sheridan’s new Board Undergraduate Certificate (BUC) in Resilience, Ethics and Adaptation ensures graduates are equipped with this set of creative problem solving and communication skills which enable them to be agile and adaptable, particularly in the age of Artificial Intelligence (AI).

The concept is simple for students already enrolled in a degree program – this specialized credential can be earned alongside a degree without the need to take any additional courses, or any extra time to complete the degree, meaning there’s no extra cost, either. Students simply need to select the required electives, meet all other requirements of their program and they’ll automatically be granted the certificate.

Sheridan’s new BUC is one-of-a-kind and sets degrees earned at Sheridan apart from those earned anywhere else in the country. Like our first BUC in Creativity and Creative Problem Solving, this credential highlights Sheridan’s commitment to preparing the whole learner for lasting success. It also offers students a way to demonstrate to employers a unique skillset and interdisciplinary understanding of critical human questions and issues that are only becoming more important in the age of AI.

In the age of AI, graduates who have learned skills such as resilience and adaptation are the kind of candidate who is going to help your business succeed.