This is going to take all the problem-solving, investigative, innovative, collaborative, and creative energy we have to accomplish this. But we can’t begin to imagine the solutions and innovations that would arise from this massive, creative and analytical effort. And President Obama is perfectly suited for ushering in and supporting this age of higher-order thinking (HOT Skills Age), which this complex, knowledge-based 21st century demands.

Why this focus on HOT skills? Because it’s where the jobs come from.

As I watch country after country announce massive lay-offs, and as millions of jobs are lost, I can’t help but think of a fall tree shedding it leaves and heading to a long, bare winter.

And this elicits the question: Where do jobs come from? What causes the spring tree to blossom into full, leafy (jobs) bloom, and head into a long, productive growth cycle?

I’ve come to the conclusion that:

In this complex, knowledge-based, 21st century, the water, warmth, and sunshine are HOT skills.

Consider this excerpt from the 2006 report, 21st Century Skills, Education &; Competitiveness, by the highly influential Partnership for 21st Century Skills:

“The ingenuity, agility and skills of the American people are crucial to U.S. competitiveness. Our ability to compete as a nation—and for states, regions and communities to attract growth industries and create jobs—demands a fresh approach to public education. We need to recognize that a 21st century education is the bedrock of competitiveness—the engine, not simply an input, of the economy.”

So a “21st century education” is the Engine of the economy. The Partnership sorts this 21st century education into four areas, one of which is “learning and innovation skills.” These core 21st century skills are listed as:

1. critical thinking,

2. communication,

3. problem solving,

4. collaboration,

5. innovation.

These are also known in educational research as higher-order thinking (HOT) skills.

Students should be taught HOT skills, to become more analytical, innovative, and effective, all of which is highly sought after by employers in this complex, knowledge-based, 21st century. So those with a focused HOT skills education will greatly improve their odds for economic success.

And this “HOT Skills Surge” will release a massive quantity of critical and creative energy into the economic system, producing hitherto undreamed of innovations and solutions for all sorts of problems and opportunities.

These create jobs, products, and services, which creates a consumer class ready and able to make purchases, which completes the economic cycle, with economic prosperity the result.

CONCLUSION
Jobs and economic prosperity in the complex, knowledge-based, 21st century come from HOT skills.