A nation’s economy is only as strong as its workforce. Business leaders say social-emotional skills are essential to achieving business success. Relationship-building, problem-solving, collaboration, and assertiveness—all commonly known as skills for success—are highly sought after in today’s workforce. Job-specific skills learned through education and training change over time, but the skills taught in social-emotional learning, or SEL programs, are timeless. Laying the foundation of SEL in education has positive, long-term benefits in children’s lives. Studies show that students not only have demonstrable improvements in academic success, and positive outcomes in school and in life, but also are better equipped to succeed professionally with workplace readiness skills. Success Stories Thousands of schools around the world and more than 26.9 million children benefit from Second Step® programs each year. Learn More Workplace Readiness Skills and Social-Emotional Learning How does SEL prepare employees for opportunity? With social-emotional learning, kids gain valuable career-long skills. Executive Functions: Why They’re Skills for a Lifetime The skills that help us set goals, make plans, stay on task, and carry out tasks successfully—known as executive-function skills—aren't innate, but they can be taught. Social-Emotional Skills Are Workplace Readiness Skills Highly valued by companies and potential employers, SEL prepares tomorrow's workforce by instilling these competencies: Empathy Emotion Management Emotion Recognition Solving Problems Impulse Control Calming Down Communication Assertiveness Research for SEL Is Key Learn more about why social-emotional skills are important in employability, professional advancement, and company success. The Evidence Base for How We Learn: Supporting Students’ Social, Emotional, and Academic Development The Aspen Institute “Employers recognize that social and emotional development, along with content knowledge, is crucial to preparing the future workforce with the life skills employers increasingly need and value.” Read More This Time, with Feeling: Integrating Social and Emotional Development and College- and Career-Readiness Standards The Aspen Institute “It has become more commonly understood that success in college and in the workplace requires not just academic knowledge and ability but also SED [social-emotional development] skills such as persistence, interpersonal skills, and self-control.” Read More Social-Emotional Skills in Early Childhood Support Workforce Success: Why Business Executives Want Employees Who Play Well with Others ReadyNation and Council for a Strong America “The pipeline to a successful workforce depends on children of all backgrounds having academic and social-emotional skills that are vital to the economy.”—Jack Brennan, Chairman Emeritus, former CEO, and Senior Advisor, Vanguard Read More See All SEL Research “Twenty-first-century leadership requires self-awareness, authenticity, empathy, and the ability to self-manage emotions—especially in conflict, during crises, and under pressure.” Matt Segneri Director, Social Enterprise InitiativeHarvard Business School Download eBook What Is SEL? Social-emotional learning, or SEL, is the process of learning the social-emotional skills that are essential for success in school, work, and life.Learn More Students and Schools SEL programs are shown to positively affect student outcomes, help improve academic performance, and reduce negative social behaviors.Learn More Life and Society The impact of SEL is increasingly recognized around the world to positively affect individuals and communities.Learn More SEL insights from business, tech, arts, and education leaders Listen Now Listen Now SEL insights from business, tech, arts, and education leaders
“Twenty-first-century leadership requires self-awareness, authenticity, empathy, and the ability to self-manage emotions—especially in conflict, during crises, and under pressure.” Matt Segneri Director, Social Enterprise InitiativeHarvard Business School Download eBook