Employability Skills One of the fundamental goals of Knowledge and Employability courses is to prepare students for their adult lives in the workplace and community. In order for students to be recognized and valued by employers, they need to have certain skills, abilities and attitudes that go beyond strictly academic knowledge. Industry has repeatedly expressed that they are willing to train workers in specific hard skills, but they do not expect to have to train workers in general attitudes and soft skills such as getting along with others or dealing with change. These soft skills can be described as employability skills or essential competencies. The Alberta Framework of Essential Competencies 1 The Alberta Framework of Essential Competencies for Working, Learning and Living (ECF) is one resource that describes essential competencies for being successful in work, in daily living and in ongoing learning. Integration of the ECF into teaching: assists teachers in teaching, observing and measuring competencies creates a common language for identifying and assessing competencies helps students apply competencies in a variety of contexts and situations helps students recognize their strengths and target areas for further development throughout their lives may increase students confidence and adaptability helps prepare students to accept challenges in their work, learning and daily living. Understanding the ECF The ECF identifies essential workplace competencies in four interdependent bands: Building Personal Capacity Interacting and Communicating Planning and Using Data and Computer Technology. 1. Information in this section adapted from Alberta Learning and Adult Skills Alberta, The Alberta Framework of Essential Competencies for Working, Learning and Living (Edmonton, AB: Alberta Learning and Adult Skills Alberta, 2000). Teacher Workstation Employability Skills 1/5
Each of these bands contains two subcategories, which are further broken down in specific competency areas. The ECF bands are summarized on the following page. The complete Alberta Framework of Essential Competencies for Working, Learning and Living and CD ROM of the Action Planner are available for purchase from the Learning Resources Centre. Teacher Workstation Employability Skills 2/5
Summary of ECF Bands Building Personal Capacity Personal Self Development Management growth plans health and well-being appearance and manner ethics Transitions accountability Lifelong Learning self-directed learning applying learning learning opportunities memory Interacting and Communicating Working with Interpersonal Others Communication communication strategies building relationships group dynamics negotiating Communicating Listening and Speaking listen for meaning listen attentively prepare presentations make effective presentations Planning and Thinking Problem Solving, Decision Making identify problem generate alternatives make a decision implement the decision evaluation of results Achieving Providing Service Results personal service skills client focus service process/systems service recovery client loyalty Risk Management safety procedures risk identification emergency response managed risk taking Adapting to Change external change personal coping mechanisms self-directed change managing commitments and resources sources of support Building Community courtesy supporting others respect community Reading build vocabulary understand text structure get meaning from text draw conclusions manage complex/ difficult text Finding Information determine information needs locate information access information use information Making Products tools/equipment materials production systems Using Data and Computer Technology Numeracy Basic Operations number concepts number operations Patterns and Relations patterns variables and equations relations and functions Career Development self assessment life/work exploration career building workplace effort self and work Teamwork team expectations participation in a team taking leadership coaching Writing prepare to write create text proofread, revise and edit text take notes and summarize Creative Thinking explore and focus develop ideas elaborate Ensuring Quality prepare project plan follow instructions performance standards consultation and communication quality improvement Shape and Space measurement 3D objects/2d shapes transformations Statistics and Probability data analysis chance and uncertainty Computer Technology Computer Operations computer basics hardware, software Computer Applications productivity tools electronic communications Internet operations Teacher Workstation Employability Skills 3/5
Each competency area has five performance indicators that are increasingly challenging and complex. Each performance indicator is teachable, observable and measurable. The following levels are used to describe the performance indicators: Identify gather necessary information and understand requirements of a task Connect link to related contexts and concepts Apply demonstrate or perform a task Reflect analyze performance, considering the impact on self and others Transfer extend the benefits of the competency to others. While the framework focuses on minimum skills, it also includes opportunities for growth and learning beyond work entry. Entry-level work generally requires the first three levels; the last two levels come with more learning and experience. Sample Competency Band in the ECF: Building Personal Capacity Competency Band Identify Connect Apply Reflect Transfer Personal Management (Self Development) Ethics Transitions (Lifelong Learning) Learning Opportunities (Adapting to Change) Commitments and Resources (Career Development) Workplace Effort Identify personal beliefs about what is right and wrong Identify learning options (formal and informal) Identify available resources (time, money, talents) Identify employer and employee expectations, rights, and responsibilities Assess the consequences of ethical/unethical behaviours to self and others Assess learning options re: personal goals, commitments and resources Identify goals, responsibilities, commitments (fixed/flexible) Assess personal performance in terms of workplace expectations Act ethically in personal, community, and workplace contexts Locate needed financial and personal support systems Prioritize and assign resources to meet commitments and goals Organize and complete tasks effectively and efficiently Examine how differing values can lead to differences in what is viewed as ethical Monitor learning experience for retention and application Analyze resource allocations and management strategies Analyze strategies to maximize personal productivity (time management) Maintain a high standard of personal ethics when interacting with others Continue personal discovery and lifelong learning Adjust resource allocations and management strategies to improve effectiveness and efficiency Seek opportunities to continue to develop own value in the workplace Teacher Workstation Employability Skills 4/5
Implementing the ECF Whether they realize it or not, Knowledge and Employability teachers already include essential competencies in their classroom. Because Knowledge and Employability courses were designed with the framework in mind, these competencies are infused throughout the program of studies and resources. For example, numeracy is addressed through the mathematics curriculum and reinforced through interdisciplinary activities. However, being aware of the specific competencies outlined in the framework may help teachers to explicitly teach, observe and measure these competencies. Consider the following ways to include essential competencies in your instructional planning. Help students recognize the importance of essential competencies as they are making career and learning decisions. Discuss the purpose and importance of developing essential competencies. Tie this learning directly to success in finding and keeping a job. Use appropriate assessment processes to help students identify their competencies as demonstrated in present and past performance, and to discover where they need to develop new competencies. Help students set SMART goals for improving their abilities in one or more of the competency areas. Goals should be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-limited. Provide opportunities to develop these competencies in a wide range of contexts including workplace, personal and community situations. Provide a guided, supportive environment that focuses on relevant personal contexts for younger students. Provide opportunities for more mature learners to apply the competencies in more complex situations. Build in competencies when planning for assessment. Recognize that a student s ability to demonstrate a particular competency can be affected by the context and his or her level of confidence. For example, performance can vary depending on the: knowledge needed to perform the task (e.g., breadth and depth of knowledge required; need to evaluate information critically) nature of the task (e.g., continuum from routine to unusual, simple to complex; task requires good judgement, initiative) context of the task (e.g., familiar or new environment; degree of structure; availability of guides/procedures to follow; level of supervision) consequences of performance (e.g., risk related to nonperformance; impact on self, system, others). Teacher Workstation Employability Skills 5/5