Why are 21st Century Skills Important?

This presentation by Richard Murnane of the Harvard Graduate School of Education was given to the Workshop on Assessment of 21st Century Skills, held in January 2011. In it, Murnane addresses the following: 1) What is unique in the 21st century that makes these skills especially valuable in the labor market and/or in other life domains (learning, family life, civic engagement)? 2) How does the growing use of computers and technology affect the labor market and the demand for 21st century skills? 3) What does more recent research suggest about the skills needed to be successful in the 21st century?