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Build the eight essential skills to succeed

Choose a skill or search a step below to get started

Communication
Listening - click to access this skillSpeaking - click to access this skill
Creative Problem Solving
Problem Solving - click to access this skillCreativity - click to access this skill
Self-Management
Adapting - click to access this skillPlanning - click to access this skill
Collaboration
Leadership - click to access this skillTeamwork - click to access this skill
What's the Universal Framework?
Why use it?
Who is it for?
How does it work?
Download Universal Framework 2.0

A roadmap for building skills

The Skills Builder Universal Framework is the world’s leading tool for measuring and building essential skills. It breaks the 8 essential skills down into a sequence of steps, starting with absolute beginner through to mastery.

It's completely open source, and backed by years of research. Developed with leading businesses, academics and educators, it consolidates the array of different frameworks into something comprehensive and practical.

It's truly universal. That’s why it’s used by over 950 employers, schools and social impact organisations across the globe.

Explore the research

Career progression and life satisfaction

Essential skills are highly transferrable, they support us to do any job, anywhere.

Those with stronger essential skills have been shown to enjoy greater life satisfaction and can earn up to 12% more than their peers.

On a national level, having a more skilled workforce can also result in greater productivity, and can ultimately contribute to a stronger economy overall.

See the evidence

For everyone, at every stage

The Skills Builder Universal Framework can be used by, and for, anyone.

It’s used by educators to build employability skills in their students, by companies to support career progression in their staff, by Impact Organisations including NGOs and social enterprises for their beneficiaries. As well as by individuals to develop their skills throughout life.

Download a Toolkit

Structured, easy to follow steps

Each skill is broken into sixteen steps across four main stages. Based on the individuals' current skill level, you can start at any of these stages or choose a specific step to focus on.

A diagram showing the eight Essential Skills icons and the steps below them.

Go from absolute beginner to complete mastery

The Beginner level icon - a very small network of four bright, multi-coloured, circular nodes connected with lines
Getting started
The Intermediate level icon - a small network of six bright, multi-coloured, circular nodes connected with lines
Intermediate
The Advanced level icon - a medium-sized network of eight bright, multi-coloured, circular nodes connected with lines
Advanced
The Mastery level icon - a large network of thirteen bright, multi-coloured, circular nodes connected with lines
Mastery
Explore the Framework
UF2.0 FAQs

The Universal Framework was developed by the Essential Skills Taskforce

Business in The Community - Click to access their siteThe Careers and Enterprise Company - Click to access their siteThe Gatsby Foundation - Click to access their siteThe Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development - Click to access their siteThe Gatsby Foundation - Click to access their siteThe Gatsby Foundation - Click to access their siteThe Gatsby Foundation - Click to access their site