Skills For Success

WHAT ARE SKILLS FOR SUCCESS?

Skills for Success are the foundation skills we need to succeed at work and in life.

There are nine official Skills for Success; reading, numeracy, digital skills, writing, listening, problem solving, creativity & innovation, collaboration, and adapability. These skills are used in every job to varying degrees and at different levels of complexity. They provide the foundation for learning all other skills and enable people to evolve with their jobs and adapt to workplace change. Most adult Canadians have these skills, but many people do not have skills at the level they need.

We assume people learn Skills for Success at school, but that’s not always the case. Here are some reasons why…

 

 

  • Some skills are not taught at school. For example, few people learn how to use technical drawings at school, but it’s an essential skill that many people use at work.
  • The skills we learn in school are not necessarily the skills we use for work. For example, we learn to write poetry in school but few of us use those skills at work.
  • If we don’t use the skills we learn, we lose them. Math is a good example. When most of us graduate high school, our math skills are good, but we quickly forget how to calculate angles or divide fractions if we don’t use these skills.

WHY ARE SKILLS FOR SUCCESS IMPORTANT?

Skills for Success are career building blocks. They provide the foundation for learning technical skills and working safely. People with strong skills are:

  • More employable… They find work 29 weeks faster than people with poor essential skills.
  • Wealthier… They earn more money. In Canada, about 28 percent of what we earn is directly related to our level of essential skills. Nothing else – not even education and experience – contributes as much to income.
  • More productive… They make fewer mistakes and better decisions.
  • Safer… They are less likely to injure themselves or others on the job.
  • Faster learners… They learn technical skills for work, like how to operate equipment, faster.
  • Better at adapting to change… They apply what they’ve learned in the past to new situations and need less retraining.

SKILLS WE ASSESS AND DEVELOP

READING

The ability to understand reading materials in the form of sentences and paragraphs. We use this skill to scan information, skim for overall meaning, evaluate what we read and integrate information from multiple sources.

NUMERACY

The ability to use numbers and think in quantitative terms. We use this skill when doing numerical estimating, money math, scheduling and budgeting math and analyzing measurements or data.

COMMUNICATION

Speaking and listening – the ability to use speech to give and understand thoughts and information. We use this skill to greet people, take messages, reassure, persuade, seek information and resolve conflicts.

WRITING

The ability to write text and documents. We use this skill when we organize, record, document, provide information to persuade, request information from others and justify a request.

DIGITAL

The ability to use different kinds of computer applications and other related technical tools. We use this skill when we operate cash registers, use word processing software, send emails and create spreadsheets

PROBLEM SOLVING

The ability to engage in the process of evaluating ideas or information to reach a rational decision. We use this skill when we solve problems, make decisions, think critically, and plan and organize job tasks.

MECHANICAL APTITUDE

The ability to apply mechanical and physical principles to determine how objects work and move. We use this skill to understand how to use a jack to fix a flat tire or assemble a cardboard storage box.

SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL

The ability to work with others (collaborate), overcome setbacks (adapt), and develop new ideas (be creative/innovate). We use these skills to work as a team, deal with change, and find solutions.

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