We’ve all heard the phrase “perfect on paper.”
Great grades. Polished CV. All the right boxes ticked.
But in the real world? Employers are rarely looking for perfection.
They’re looking for people who can figure things out when the plan falls apart.
The rise of problem-solvers
According to the World Economic Forum, problem-solving is the number one skill employers value most – and that’s not just in tech or business. It’s across every industry.
Why? Because things change fast. Software updates. Markets shift. New competitors emerge. And the people who can adapt, stay calm, and find a solution – they’re the ones who make a difference.
So, where do young people learn that?
It’s not always in the classroom. Traditional education often rewards getting the right answer, not figuring out what to do when there isn’t one. That’s where enterprise-style learning comes in.
Enterprise programmes – especially those supported by AI and guided mentorship – flip the script. Instead of solving pre-set problems, students identify problems themselves. They experiment. They test, fail, adjust, and try again. It’s messy. It’s uncertain. And it’s exactly how the world works.
These aren’t just “business skills”
They’re life skills. Think:
- Resilience – getting comfortable with things not working the first time.
- Critical thinking – not just knowing what to think, but how to think.
- Communication – explaining ideas clearly, even under pressure.
- Creativity – seeing opportunities where others see roadblocks.
These are the traits that show up in standout job applications, in interviews where someone’s asked to “talk about a time you solved a problem,” and in workplaces where things are rarely straightforward.
Perfection can freeze progress. Problem-solving moves things forward.
For students, learning to problem-solve early – through enterprise projects, collaborative challenges, or AI-guided idea development – doesn’t just prepare them for a future job. It prepares them for any future.
So next time we talk about preparing young people for the world of work, maybe we stop asking:
“Are they ready to get everything right?”
And instead ask:
“Are they ready to figure things out when it goes wrong?”