What Are Essential Skills : Part 1

Note: The Government of Canada is now referring to these as the Skills for Success.

I have been in the Essential Skills world for 10+ years. Before that I had never heard of them. In fact, most Canadians are not aware of them. Yet they should be.

“Essential Skills are the foundation skills everyone uses while performing the tasks required for their jobs.”

Manitoba Industry Workforce Development

They are:

• The skills you need to be successful at work.
• The skills you need to be promoted at work.
• The skills you need to get the job.
• The skills you need to keep the job.

Pretty important right? So what are they?

The 9 Essential Skills

• Reading
• Writing
• Document Use
• Numeracy
• Digital Technology
• Oral Communication
• Thinking Skills
• Working with Others
• Continuous Learning

Each of these skills can be broken down into levels between 1 and 5. Every job has different level requirements for each skill.

Why Should Newcomers Understand Them?

Essential Skills (ES) and the Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLB) are very much interrelated. You need to understand both to find success in the Canadian workplace. (future blog post!)

Understanding these skills allows you to measure your current skill levels against the skills required for different jobs. This will better prepare you to:

• Apply for jobs
• Speak about your skills in interviews
• Be promoted in your current job

Workplaces and Essential Skills

Many workplaces are now understanding the importance of these skills and how it effects their staff. In fact, a blog article from AWES (Alberta Workforce Essential Skills Society) says:

“Essential skills training generates an average return on investment of 27%, with some organizations reporting returns as high as 300%.”

AWES

With results like that why wouldn’t they focus on Essential Skills?

The truth is we could all improve in certain areas, so why not start today? How are YOUR Essential Skills?

Want To Learn More?

Below are some links I recommend checking out:

• Government of Canada: Skills for Success
• Workplace Education Manitoba
• Alberta Workforce Essential Skills Society : AWES
• SkillPlan

Up Next Week:

What are Essential Skills: Part 2

As always if you have any questions please comment or email!