Do you have the skills for the job you want?
Do you have the skills for the job you want?
September 21, 2012
Did you know that 4 out of every 10 Canadians do not have the essential skills they need to fully participate in today’s workforce?
When I say essential skills, I’m not referring to specialized skills learned in post-secondary school. I’m talking about the nine essential skills, such as reading, writing, oral communication, working with others, and numeracy. Whether you’re entering college or university, the workforce, or an apprenticeship, having these essential skills can help you succeed.
I remember starting university as a journalism student and thinking to myself: “This is great! I don’t need to work with numbers. Journalism is writing, after all.”
Little did I know how many times that I’d not only have to read complicated statistical charts and graphs, but that I’d actually have to write articles where the key source was a series of numbers. As a journalist-in-training, I had to figure out how to explain what the numbers meant to my readers.
In hindsight, I wished I’d paid more attention in my grade-school math classes.
The nine essential skills are necessary for just about every job. So, think about your career goals, and then figure out what skills you’ll need to reach those goals. Here are three steps and some useful resources to help you get started:
- Get informed. Check out the essential skills profiles to learn how essential skills are used on the job in a variety of occupations.
- Assess your needs. Complete quizzes/checklists, and other informal assessments to understand which skills you already have and which ones need improvement.
- Create an action plan to develop your skills. Take advantage of practice exercises and learning tips to help you improve your essential skills.
Good luck, and happy learning!