Today marks a truly exciting moment for the Partnership’s mission to ensure everyone can build the essential skills they need to thrive: the launch of Universal Framework 2.0.
In a world of accelerating technological change, it has never been more important to invest in equipping everyone with the essential skills to thrive. These are the skills - communication, collaboration, creative problem solving, and self-management - that will enable individuals to fully realise their potential.
It’s important to pause and reflect on the journey that has brought us here. Over the past five years, the efforts of more than 950 partner organisations in 20 countries have enabled 10 million individuals to boost their essential skills. That collective effort is something truly remarkable, and it has been enabled by something seemingly simple - a shared set of outcomes and language for essential skills.
Universal Framework 2.0 is the result of a rigorous 12-month review, shaped by collaboration with experts across education, employment, and impact organisations and informed by global input from our wider network. The result is an updated Framework for essential skills development that is easier to use, more inclusive, and more accessible than ever.
A framework designed for everyone, at every stage
A universal framework for essential skills development should be just that: truly universal – relevant, accessible, and empowering for everyone, at every stage of life.
Whether it’s supporting young learners, developing talent in the workplace, or enabling individuals to thrive in their wider lives, what unites all of this is the shared foundation of essential skills.
For educators, Universal Framework 2.0 provides a clear structure to embed and evidence lifelong skills. It moves beyond abstract concepts, allowing educators to explicitly teach, track, and report learner progress in essential skills – making their development tangible and measurable across any curriculum.
For employers, it solves the challenge of inconsistent skill assessment. By replacing vague demands like “good communication” or “teamwork” with a clear, measurable standard, the Framework supports better hiring decisions, targeted professional development, and consistent performance evaluation.
For impact organisations, it offers a robust methodology to track and evidence beneficiaries’ skills development. It helps provide funders with clear, verifiable proof of a programme's effectiveness, while also creating more opportunities for individuals to build, practise, and better articulate the skills they’re developing.
Discover the updated interactive Framework
The updated interactive Universal Framework is now live.
Key updates include clearer language throughout, a simplified layout, and improved visual cues to help individuals quickly understand where they are and what they can work on next. The progression structure has also been enhanced, with more precise steps that reflect real-world skill development across different contexts.
It’s now even easier to explore the eight essential skills, identify strengths, and take practical, personalised next steps - whether in a classroom, a workplace, or any setting focused on building essential skills.
Practical toolkits for every context
To support the launch of Universal Framework 2.0, four updated Toolkits are now available - designed for educators, employers, impact organisations, and inclusive delivery.
Each Toolkit is built to help you apply the updated Framework effectively, whether in a classroom, a workplace, a community programme, or a setting focused on accessibility and inclusion. They offer a practical introduction to the changes, along with ideas, case studies, and actionable guidance for implementation.
The updated Educator Handbook
The newly updated Educator Handbook is also now available - a practical guide to embedding Universal Framework 2.0 across teaching and learning.
Designed for teachers, school leaders, and curriculum designers, the Handbook supports structured, measurable skill development. It includes guidance on applying the updated Framework, along with planning tools, example activities, and real-life case studies from across the Partnership.
Tom Ravenscroft
The Handbook is free to download, with a printed version available to purchase via Amazon.
Celebrating progress and more to come
Universal Framework 2.0 is the product of extraordinary collaboration. The huge amount of insight, expertise, and care shared by partners, individuals, and advisors throughout the review has reaffirmed the power of partnership in achieving lasting change. This Framework simply wouldn’t exist without your commitment to our shared mission: that one day, everyone will build the essential skills to thrive. Thank you.
At the end of August, we’ll be releasing updated versions of the Skills Builder Hub and Benchmark tools - fully incorporating the potential of Universal Framework 2.0. These updates will bring new resources, alongside cutting-edge learning and assessment features, to help even more individuals build the essential skills to succeed.
Ultimately, this review set out to consolidate all of the learning from the last five years, and to create an updated model that would be the most effective, robust, and inclusive approach to building and assessing essential skills in the world. We’re thrilled to share this work, setting us up for the next decade - and another important step towards ensuring that one day, everyone builds the essential skills to thrive.
