Employability Skills for Lynne Cagle University of North Texas

Questions What does “employability skills” mean? What are employability skills? How can I teach employability skills in my classroom?

Definition Employability skills are TRANSFERABLE CORE SKILL GROUPS that represent essential FUNCTIONAL AND ENABLING KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ATTITUDES required by the 21st century workplace. They are necessary for career success at ALL LEVELS OF EMPLOYMENT AND EDUCATION. Overtoom, 2000

National Studies American Society for Training and Development (Carnevale, Gainer, and Meltzer 1990) Secretary’s Commission on Achieving Necessary Skills (SCANS 1991) The Employability Skills Profile: What Are Employers Looking For? (The Conference Board of Canada, 2000)

Skill Groups Across Job Families Basic Competency Skills Reading Writing Composition Communication Skills Speaking Listening Carnevale, Gainer, and Meltzer, 1990

Skill Groups Across Job Families Adaptability Skills Problem solving Thinking creatively Developmental Skills Self-esteem Motivation and goal-setting Career planning Carnevale, Gainer, and Meltzer, 1990

Skill Groups Across Job Families Group Effectiveness Skills Interpersonal skills Teamwork Negotiation Influencing Skills Understanding organizational culture Sharing leadership Carnevale, Gainer, and Meltzer, 1990

Employers want employees who: Value the importance of life-long learning Communicate well (listen carefully and understand, speak and write effectively) Think clearly, assess critically, act logically, and make decisions Have mathematical abilities and can solve problems The Conference Board of Canada, 2000

Employers want employees who: Use technology, instruments, tools and information systems Can access and apply specialized knowledge from other fields Feel good about themselves and who know how to manage their lives well and with integrity The Conference Board of Canada, 2000

Employers want employees who: Have positive attitudes and behave in positive ways Have personal ethics and display initiative and persistence Take responsibility and are accountable Set goals and priorities and who manage their own time The Conference Board of Canada, 2000

Employers want employees who: Are adaptable, able to think creatively, and who work successfully in a team Automatically include others in their decision-making process Show respect for the opinions and concerns of co-workers The Conference Board of Canada, 2000

Teaching Employability Skills Currently two identified methods Method 1: Developing/Teaching stand-alone lessons Developing a complete lesson around an identified skill (i.e. Resume Writing, Communication Skills, Interviewing Techniques) Method 2: Infusing Employability Skills into existing lessons Highlighting the importance of the skill as it relates to a current lesson and to general work requirements

“To be employed is to be at risk, to be employable is to be secure.” Peter Hawkins