Essential Skills

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• Essential Skills
• Workshop

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Learning Outcomes

• To understand what is meant by Essential Skills
  and why they are important
• To learn where you can go to assess your level of
  Essential Skills
• To be aware of the importance of continuing to
  develop your Essential Skills

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What are Skills?

• Activities that you know how to do well
• Gained through
• Education
• Training
• Life experience

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What are my Skills?

• Brainstorming Activity
• List as many skills as you can in 2 minutes

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• Skills categories
• Personal Management
• ? time ? organizational ? Facebook
• Specialized
• ? forklift certificate
• Transferable
• ? skills you can transfer from one job to
  another
• Essential
• ? needed for work, life and learning

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Brainstorming Activity
List the Essential Ingredients needed to Make a
Cake
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Essential Skills are

• Skills that employers expect in their employees
• Skills that lead to success in the workplace
• They provide the foundation for learning all
  other skills
• Used throughout daily life in different forms and
  at different levels of difficulty

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There are NINE Essential Skills

• Reading Text
• Document Use
• Numeracy
• Writing
• Oral Communication

• Working with others
• Thinking Skills
• Computer Use
• Continuous Learning

http//www.hrsdc.gc.ca/eng/workplaceskills/essenti
al_skills/general/home.shtml
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EssentialSkill Workplace Example Life Examples
Reading TextUnderstanding materials written in sentences or paragraphs A Sales Representative needs to read manuals for product descriptions knowledge Reading and understanding a lease agreement for renting an apartment Reading magazines and newspapers You are using this skill right now
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EssentialSkill Workplace Example Life Examples
Document UseUsing and understanding labels, graphs, charts, tables, signs and other similar materials A Tour Guide consults bus and ferry schedules, and reads luggage tags street signs Filling out a job application This slide is a document Finding out the temperature by reading a thermometer
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EssentialSkill Workplace Example Life Examples
Numeracy Using and understanding numbers and money A Cashier uses money math to calculate change for the customer Measuring ingredients for a recipe Calculating tip for food service Scheduling time and budgeting money
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EssentialSkill Workplace Example Life Examples
Writing Writing text or typing on a computer A Security Guard writes incident reports and memos to supervisors Creating a shopping list Writing a resume or cover letter Preparing an e-mail
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EssentialSkill Workplace Examples Life Examples
Oral CommunicationUsing speech to share thoughts and information A Nurse talks with other health professionals to exchange information on patients treatment plans Explaining a medical problem to your Doctor Comforting others Asking for directions
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EssentialSkill Workplace Example Life Examples
Working with OthersInteracting with others to complete tasks On a construction site many different tradesmen have to work together to complete a project Helping a friend move into a new apartment Participating on a sports team Coordinating a party
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EssentialSkill Workplace Example Life Examples
Thinking Reviewing information to make decisions A Daycare Teacher (Early Childhood Educator) must decide if a parent should be called when a child appears ill Critical thinking when confronted with an emergency Using your memory to recall information Researching on the computer
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EssentialSkill Workplace Example Life Examples
Computer UseUsing different kinds of computer applications and other related technical tools Food Servers enter customers food order into a computerized cash register Withdrawing or depositing money at an automatic teller machine (ATM) Sending e-mails with attachments to multiple users Faxing your resume
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EssentialSkill Workplace Example Life Examples
Continuous LearningParticipating in an ongoing process of acquiring skills and knowledge A Construction Worker takes a one-day first aid course Attending a job search program Learning new skills from co-workers Upgrading academic subjects to receive your GED (General Educational Development)
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• Break Time
• Lets take a 10 minute break.

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• ESSENTIAL SKILLS FOR
• LIFE
• http//jlang.com/essential_skills/rent.html

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ESSENTIAL SKILLS FOR WORK

• Essential Skills are linked to job postings,
  employment, and career planning

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• Essential Skills In...
• JOB POSTINGS

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• Essential Skills In
• Career Planning
• Lets visit the Ontario Skills Passport Website

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• ESSENTIAL SKILLS LEVELS
• Levels of Essential Skills refers to how
  difficult the tasks are
• Complexity levels range from 1 (very basic) to 5
  (most advanced)

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• For Example
• Level One Sift through the deck of cards and
  find an Ace
• Level Two Find all the Aces in deck of cards
• Level Three Arrange all the cards from lowest to
  highest, in their own suits
• Level Four Pull out the cards needed to give you
  the highest poker hand
• Level Five Using your knowledge of how card
  games are played, create your own game

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Examples of tasks and theircomplexity levels

• Computer Use
• use computer applications, such as specialized
  software to issue tickets. (level 1)
• use communications software. For example,
  communicate with co-workers by e-mail. (level 2)
• use a database. For example, find and record
  information, book flights and process cargo
  loads. Booking flights requires co-coordinating
  connecting flights, seat availability and fare
  structures. (level 3)
• Oral Communication
• interact with customers to respond to ticket
  requests, answer questions, exchange information
  or discuss flight or shipping options. (level 1)
• make boarding announcements, in both official
  languages. (level 1)
• attend staff meetings to discuss how to improve
  work processes. (level 2)
• exchange information and co-ordinate work with
  supervisors and coworkers. (level 2)

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• ESSENTIAL SKILLS
• ASSESSMENTS
• How do you measure your Essential Skills level?

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• Test of Workplace Essential Skills
• Reading text
• Document use
• Numeracy
• Using authentic workplace documents

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A GREAT PRACTICE SITE IS Measure Up Website
http//measureup.towes.com/
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• For on-line assessments you can go to
• Human Resources and Skills Development Canada
• http//www.hrsdc.gc.ca/eng/workplaceskills/LES/too
  ls_resources/tools_audience/general/online_indicat
  or.shtml

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http//www.hrsdc.gc.ca/eng/workplaceskills/LES/too
ls_resources/learning.shtml
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Oral Communication Tips

• Slow down your speech and pronounce words clearly
  and correctly.
• Vary your pitch, tone and volume to emphasize key
  words or sentences.
• Record yourself speaking and then listen to the
  recording to analyze your pitch, tone, speed and
  volume.

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• Essential Skills Video Resources
• The StoLo Nation Human Resources Development
  Website
• http//www.saset.ca/index.php?optioncom_contentv
  iewarticleid122Itemid155

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www.myerc.ca
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• WHAT ESSENTIAL SKILLS DID YOU USE IN THIS
  WORKSHOP TODAY?

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• This project was made possible through funding
  from the Government of Canada.