Key Skills: Introduction Presented by Bill Haining

There’s nothing new about Key Skills. You are using them already, all the time. By completing a Key Skills qualification you have the opportunity to develop your skills further and to show that you can use them in everyday work and life activities. In this section of your portfolio you will look at both Application of Number and Communication Key Skills.

Why should I do key skills? There are three main reasons why you will find it helpful to do key skills. 1. The first reason: Key skills underpin everything you do at work and at home: ✓✓ you are communicating all the time ✓✓ numbers are at the heart of much of what you do at home and at work. You will: ✓✓ get better at discussion, speaking, listening and writing ✓✓ find and process information in all its forms more easily ✓✓ use numbers more confidently

Why should I do key skills? The second reason: In recent surveys of employers, they said that they were looking for staff who: ✓ can communicate effectively with customers and colleagues ✓ can work in teams, with good interpersonal skills ✓ can solve problems ✓ are numerate ✓ have good ICT skills ✓ are willing and able to learn ✓ are flexible in their approach to work

Why should I do key skills? The third reason: There is plenty of evidence that shows that people who are good at communicating, handling numbers and working with ICT also work well with other people. They are also better organised and able to tackle the problems life throws at them and are happier and more successful than those who can’t.

But I’ve already got qualifications in English and maths. What’s different about key skills? The difference is in how you use them. What you learnt in GCSE English, Maths and maybe ICT may have helped with your other subjects and with your life in general, but that wasn’t their main purpose. The point of key skills is that you apply them in your other studies and in your work to get results. You use key skills with a purpose – to get things done. Academic qualifications in English and maths give you the underpinning techniques; Key Skills show you how to use them.

How do I do them? There are three stages in doing key skills: 1. Learning the underpinning techniques; (knowing how to use Maths and English) 2. Practising and developing the skills 3. Using and applying the skills to get things done. It’s at the third stage that you are really using key skills effectively. You will have learnt many of the underpinning techniques by the time you start on Key Skills but there will always be some to revise and more to learn. For example, you may want to improve your spelling and punctuation so you can write an clearly and appropriately or work out which is the best discount to offer on a product. Completing a Key Skills qualification will prove that you have the skills and can apply them to work and life situations.

How will my key skills work be assessed? For your key skills, you have to do two things : 1. Compile a folder of evidence to show how you have applied the skills The evidence folder This is a small file or folder of evidence that proves you can do what the Key Skills require you to do. This is spelt out in the Key Skills standards. If you haven’t seen these, ask your Trainer Assessor for a copy. Your evidence may be entirely electronic or on paper, but it can be anything else that shows what you can do. It is best if this evidence can come from your main programme of study or training whilst working with your employer, but it can come from any area of your life, including leisure activities. As long as it fits the Key Skill and has been agreed by a Trainer Assessor, it can go in the folder.

How will my key skills work be assessed? 2. Answer 40 multiple-choice questions The multiple-choice questions At Levels 1 and 2 this consists of 40 questions, each with four possible answers; you just have to choose the right one. You have up to one hour to answer the questions (plus 15 minutes for Application of Number

Does everyone have to complete Key Skills? Some people are exempt from some or all of the Key Skills assessment. Ask your Trainer Assessor for advice about whether this applies to you. This skill isn’t just about doing sums. It’s about using maths in everyday practical situations relevant to your job role, such as handling money accurately, working out best before dates, carrying out a waste count or completing a stock count.

Top Tips: ✓ By the time you have got to this stage, you will have done lots of learning and practising with your Trainer Assessor so you should now find completing your tasks reasonably easy ✓ You don’t have to do all of the tasks in one go ✓ Before you start, talk to your Trainer Assessor to check which tasks you need to complete ✓ Keep all of the draft copies that you use, as well as evidence from your working out. Complete in rough first if you want to ✓ Show your calculations and how you checked your results ✓ Check all of your work as you go along, making sure you proof read any written work for spelling, punctuation and grammar ✓ Plan and structure your discussion/talk carefully and use open questions when talking to your colleagues. Before you have your discussion/ talk, discuss it with your Line Manager ✓ Don’t panic! Your Trainer Assessor is there to support you – ask if unsure Good Luck!

THE END Thanks and good luck