Essential Skills and the Ontario Skills Passport

in Action!

Chantal Locatelli and Jodie WellsCESBA ConferenceDecember 6, 2007

Human Resources and Social Development Canada’s Essential Skills Research

• Reading Text • Document Use• Writing• Numeracy• Oral Communication• Thinking Skills • Working With Others• Computer Use• Continuous Learning

Why These Skills Are Essential

• Enable people to perform tasks required by their jobs as well as adapt to change.

• Generic skills used in virtually all occupations and throughout daily life in different forms and at different levels of complexity.

• They are transferable from school to work, job to job and sector to sector.

• They provide the foundation for learning other skills, such as technical skills and job/workplace specific skills.

Workforce Skills

Combination of:

JW (Job-Workplace Specific Skills)- employer and position

specific

TS (Technical Skills)- occupation specific

ES (Essential Skills)- foundational- transferable

JW

T S

E S

Complexity Rating Scale

• The Complexity Rating Scale indicates the level of complexity involved in the use of a skill in a particular task.

• The least complex tasks are classified at level 1; the most complex tasks are classified at level 5 or at level 4 if there are only 4 levels for a skill.

Skill levels are associated with workplace tasks and not the worker performing these tasks.

Essential Skills Profiles

Essential Skills Profiles describe how each skill is used in an occupation.

Researchers asked workers:

- What do you do in your job?

- Why do you do it?

- How do you do it?

- What resources and materials do you use?

269 profiles and others are under development.

Components of an Essential Skills Profile

Brief description of the occupation

List of the most important Essential Skills

Typical tasks grouped by skill and skill level

Physical aspects of performing the job and the attitudes that workers feel are needed to do the job well

Future trends affecting Essential Skill requirements for the occupation

Links to sites with information on this occupation, such as the National Occupational Classification Matrix (NOC) and Job Futures

National Occupational Classification Matrix (NOC)

The profiles align with the NOC – a national standard.

Occupations are grouped in the NOC by type of education required.

C & D level occupations require a high school education or less.

B level occupations require a college education or apprenticeship training (e.g. Red Seal trades).

A level occupations require university education.

0 level are managerial level occupations

Essential Skills Research Website

• Information on the Essential Skills Research, including the Essential Skills Profiles, are available at: http://srv108.services.gc.ca/english/general/home_e.shtml

• Copies of the National Occupational Classification Matrix (NOC) that describes occupations in Canada by educational level and occupational grouping are available at a minimum cost from HRSDC at: 1-800-635-7943 or http://www23.hrdc-drhc.gc.ca

Essential Skills Matter to Workers, Employers and Governments…

• The International Adult Literacy Survey (IALS) (1994) and the Adult Literacy and Life Skills Survey (2004) noted that 40% of Canadian working-age adults have low essential skills levels (levels 1 & 2) while most Canadian occupations require level 3 and higher.

• The Prime Minister’s Expert Panel on Skills (2000) concluded that the Canadian workforce typically had the necessary technical skills, but had critical gaps in its essential skills.

• Statistics Canada correlates increased Essential Skills capacity with higher earnings, stronger labour force attachment and better health among individuals.

Conference Board of Canada’s Case Studies on Hard and Soft Returns on Essential Skills Investments

Organizations reported:• Safer workplace – fewer accidents• Higher productivity and more efficiencies• Lower turnover and absenteeism rates• Improved performance appraisal processes

Individuals, Teams, Organizations and Family & Community Benefits:• Increase in self-confidence, initiative, communication, teamwork• More open to change and lifelong learning attitude• Better able to make decisions and to recognize and solve problems • Increase in volunteerism and ability to help children with homework• Enjoy improved health

HRSDC publication HIP-028-03-05E

The Skills Challenge

We must help learners and job seekers see themselves as “knowledge workers” with skills that they can develop in school and training programs and transfer to the workplace….They must understand that they will have to continue to develop their skills to keep their jobs and progress in the workplace.

The Ontario Skills Passport Opportunity

• Bilingual FREE web-based tool

• Provides clear descriptions of Essential Skills and important work habits

• Provides a consistent method for employers to assess and record skills and work habits

• Offers applications, resources and assessment tools to support its use in a variety of educational and training contexts

• http://skills.edu.gov.on.ca

Relevance Engages Learners!

• “The need to find meaning is a strong motivational force in life of each of us. If teachers can consistently help students connect subject matter content with the context of application, I believe that we may be astonished at the significant increase in learning.”- Dale Parnell, Cerebral Context, AVA 1996

Check-Up ToolsEmployer

Tools

Create a Work

PlanCreate a

Transition Plan

Create an OSP Transition Plan to transfer your Essential Skills and work habits to a job or further education or training. Access local education, training and employment-related information at http://www.iwin.on.ca/

Create a Job Ad/DescriptionDevelop an Interview ChecklistGive feedback on job performance and skills development

See how workers use Essential Skills on the job.

Assess, practice and build your Essential Skills and work habits.(under development)

Search the

Database

Search sample tasks for Essential Skills and work habits in work, learning and life.

Create an OSP Work Plan that focuses on the Essential Skills, job tasks and work habits related to your work placement. Employers record your progress in this work plan.

Essential Skills and

Work Habits

Occupations and Tasks

http://skills.edu.gov.on.ca

Check-In Tool

Use this practitioner intake, referral, and planning tool to focus on Essential Skills and work habits.(under development)

OSP Resource

s

Access the OSP brochure and postcards, and resources, designed for use in a wide range of educational and training contexts.

Learn about the Essential Skills and work habits and see how people use them in work, learning and life. (under development)

The OSP Supports Life-long Skills Development

Use the OSP to:• Learn about the Essential Skills and work habits important for

success in work, learning and life;• See how workers use Essential Skills on the job;• Understand that these skills transfer from school to work, job to job

and sector to sector;• Strengthen learning-work connections; • Identify the Essential Skills and work habits an individual possesses

and those that they would like and/or need to develop;• Self-assess, practice and develop Essential Skills and work habits;• Document demonstration of Essential Skills and work habits and

plan next steps, including preparing skills-based résumés, preparing for interviews and planning further skills development;

• Support successful transitions to work or further education or training and on-going skills development.

Essential Skills in the OSP• Reading Text• Writing• Document Use• Computer Use• Oral Communication• Numeracy

- Money Math- Scheduling or Budgeting and Accounting- Measurement and Calculation- Data Analysis- Numerical Estimation

• Thinking Skills- Job Task Planning and Organizing- Decision Making- Problem Solving- Finding Information

# HRSDC’s 9 Essential Skills OSP Skills1 Reading Text Reading Text2 Writing Writing3 Document Use Document Use4 Computer Use Computer Use5 Oral Communication Oral Communication6 NUMERACY Money Math

Money Math Scheduling or Budgeting and AccountingScheduling or Budgeting and Accounting Measurement and CalculationMeasurement and Calculation Data AnalysisData Analysis Numerical EstimationNumerical Estimation

7 THINKING SKILLS Job Task Planning and OrganizingJob Task Planning and Organizing Decision MakingDecision Making Problem SolvingProblem Solving Finding InformationFinding Information

Significant Use of MemorySignificant Use of Memory is not included in the OSP database.

Critical ThinkingCritical Thinking is not included in the OSP database.

8 Working with OthersWorking with Others is included as an OSP Work Habit.

9 Continuous Learning Continuous Learning is not included in the OSP.

Essential Skills HRSDC and the OSP

• The OSP lists the 5 numeracy-related skills separately. This allows for a more precise identification and development of a person’s mathematical literacy and its application in the workplace.

• The OSP only includes the Essential Skills that have a validated complexity rating scale and occupation-specific workplace tasks for the different skill levels. This allows for a consistent method of assessing these skills and planning/tracking skill development over time. Currently, Continuous Learning is not included in the OSP.

• The OSP lists the following "Thinking Skills“ separately: Job Task Planning and Organizing, Decision Making, Problem Solving and Finding Information. Currently, Critical Thinking and Significant Use of Memory are not included.

• The OSP includes work habits important for success in the workplace and provides performance indicators for each one. Currently, Working with Others is not included in the OSP, however, “teamwork” is one of the work habits.

Work Habits in the OSP

The OSP includes the following work habits considered important for success work, learning and life:

• working safely• teamwork• reliability• organization• working independently• initiative• self-advocacy• customer service• entrepreneurship

Note: There are no complexity levels associated with work habits in the OSP.

The OSP Database

• Searchable and interactive database of more than 16,000 workplace tasks, classified by skill, skill level and occupation

• Tasks come from Essential Skills Profiles and will increase over time as more profiles are published

• Key applications are: Search the OSP Database, Create a Work Plan, Create a Transition Plan and Create a Job Ad or Job Description.

Search the OSP Database…Make Learning Real!

• Search the OSP Database application generates a list of tasks by skill and skill level(s) for one or more occupations.

• This information can enhance classroom relevancy and strengthen school-work connections.

• All teachers/trainers/literacy practitioners can use this feature of the OSP to engage learners.

Create an OSP Work Plan…Quick, Easy, Valuable!

• OSP Work Plan lists tasks by skill & skill level that a learner/job seeker will have an opportunity to perform in workplace.

• The Standard OSP Work Plan lists the tasks for the most important essential skills for the occupation.

• Customize OSP Work Plan to make it appropriate and meaningful to the learner/job seeker and relevant to the workplace by:- deleting tasks the learner/job seeker will not have a chance to perform- adding tasks and skills the learner/job seeker wants to perform and practice- adding to “Other Tasks” section, tasks identified by employer or tasks from the Essential Skills Profiles not in the OSP database.

• Only the employer records in, and signs, the OSP Work Plan.

OSP and Work Placements (including co-operative education) and Other Forms of Experiential Learning

Ways that teachers, trainers and literacy practitioners can use the OSP:

Pre-placement reality check

Identify suitable workplace tasks for the placement

Inform the development of the PPLP or training plan

As part of a rich task to assess and evaluate learner performance

Create an OSP Transition Plan and transfer your skills to a job!

Steps to creating an OSP Transition Plan:

1: Choose a job ad or an occupation

2. Decode the job ad or occupational description and learn more about the job requirements

3: Connect your own experiences with the job

4: Plan next steps – identify useful course/training; prepare a skills-focused résumé/cover letter;

prepare for an interview.

Job Connect Program

• Information and Resource Service (IRS)

• Employment Planning and Preparation (EPP)

• Job Development and Placement Support (JDPS)

Literacy and Basic Skills Program

OSP provides a valuable tool for LBS instructors and learners preparing for the direct to work transition pathway by providing:

• Information on expectations of a particular occupation (friendly NOC search for both career search and exploration and curriculum development)

• Opportunity for learner and practitioner to work together and create an OSP Work Plan that can serve as a training plan as well as an authentic computer based experience

• Additional information on work habits, and, if appropriate, identifying related services or supports that can be embedded in learner’s program

• An understanding of the “transferability” of ES and the value of preparing skills-based résumés and covering letters, as well as preparing for interviews

• A self-assessment check-list to demonstrate transition readiness• A record of ES and work habits demonstrated by learners who have a job

placement opportunity.

Curriculum Documents

The OSP and Essential Skills are referenced in all revised Ontario curriculum documents to:

– Strengthen school-work connections by connecting curriculum expectations and the workplace

– Enhance workplace relevancy in the classroom by referring to workplace tasks and using authentic workplace materials

– To support career education and exploration

– To engage learners

Guidance and Career Education

Courses Two Courses:

Discovering the Workplace (GLD2O)– Gr. 10Navigating the Workplace (GLN4O) – Gr. 12

• Explicitly include Essential Skills in their curriculum expectations and make use of the Ontario Skills Passport.

• Incorporate a broad range of experiential learning opportunities which are intended to meet the needs of students who are at various stages of readiness for work.

• May be taken prior to or concurrent with cooperative education credits to provide an extended experiential learning opportunity in the workplace.

SPECIALIST HIGH SKILLS MAJORS – NEW

A ministry-approved specialized program

Allows students to focus on the knowledge and skills (including Essential Skills and work habits) that are of particular importance in certain economic areas, and to obtain certifications recognized in those sectors, as they work towards meeting the requirements for an Ontario Secondary School Diploma.

Students who graduate with a SHSM designation on their diploma are prepared for success in a particular sector and in the post-secondary destination of their choice, whether it be apprenticeship training, a college or university program, or the workplace.

• Sectors in 2007-08: Arts and Culture, Business, Construction, Environment, Health and Wellness, Hospitality and Tourism, Manufacturing, Transportation and Primary Industries: Agriculture, Forestry, Horticulture and Landscaping, Mining

Each SHSM has a Ministry-approved framework that consists of:

8-10 credits

sector-recognized certifications and training;

workplace experience through experiential learning;

the Ontario Skills Passport to: explore occupations, learn about Essential

Skills and work habits, create Work Plans in which employers record their demonstration of skills and work habits, and prepare for next steps (e.g. conduct job searches, create résumés and prepare for interviews); and

“reach ahead” experiences in a selected postsecondary destination. These experiences enable Grade 11 and 12 students to gain confidence in their ability to be successful, refine skills and work habits, and make informed choice about future careers and next

steps. OSP is a mandatory component of all SHSMs !

NEW OSP Promotional Materials

• OSP Brochure – How to find GREAT workers for your business … easy-to-understand descriptions of the tasks involved in the job make work placements be more productive

• OSP Learner/Job Seekers Card – How to “wow” employers and get the job you want!

• OSP Employer Card – Now there’s a better way to interview, evaluate and train your workers

• Available in English and French• FREE: order on line at http://skills.edu.gov.on.ca

OSP Employer Tools - NEW

Employer Tools:• Create a job ad/description that focuses on key Essential

Skills and work habits for the job• Develop an interview checklist that targets these skills

and work habits • Give constructive feedback on job performance and

skills development• Expected: November 2007

By using the same job language, employers and job seekers can quickly decide if a job is the “right fit”

Under Development: ES & WH in Everyday Life Resource

Essential Skills and Work Habits in Everyday Life

• Scenarios that depict Essential Skills and work habits in everyday life;

• Audio and video components• Expected: winter 2008

Under Development: ES & WH Check-In Tool

Essential Skills & Work Habits Check-In Tool:

• An intake, referral and planning tool for practitioners;

• Being piloted in Adult Ed Common Assessment Pilot Project

• Expected: winter 2008.

Under Development: ES & WH Check-UP Tools

• Learner Essential Skills and Work Habits Check-Up Tool: Guides learners and job seekers through a self-assessment for each of the

ES and work habits listed in the OSP. User receives a score card with personal results which can also be compared to skill sets of experienced workers in occupation(s) of interest.

• Facilitated Essential Skills Check-Up Tool: Provide learners and job seekers with the opportunity to practice, build and

demonstrate their ES (Levels 1-3) through completing tasks used in selected occupations at the C, D and B levels of the NOC. Requires teacher/facilitator involvement; reliable indicator of ES competency. Facilitator guides for use by: secondary school teachers, literacy practitioners, Job Connect employment counsellors and job developers, Apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship trainers.

• Expected: winter 2008

OSP Web Development Advisory Committee

Suggestions and feedback on applications and resources to support use of OSP.Participating organizations:• Alpha Plus • Association des conseillères et des conseillers en orientation franco-ontariens• Canadian Language Benchmarks • Collaborative of Adult Employment Centres of Ontario• Community Living• Ontario Association of Adult and Continuing Education • Job Connect College Sector • Learning Disabilities Association of Ontario• Metis Nation of Ontario• Ontario Association of Help Centres• Ontario Association of Youth Employment Centres• Ontario Business Education Partnership• Ontario Co-operative Education Association• Ontario Council of Technical Education• Ontario Federation of Indian Friendship Centres • Ontario School Counselors’ Association • Ontario WorkInfoNet

OSP Resources – Developed by teachers and trainers

Sample OSP ResourcesResources developed by teachers/trainers…Click on the OSP Toolbox and follow the OSP Resources links

• Specialist High Skills Majors NEW• Icons (copy&paste), Bingo Cards, Posters• Transfer Your Skills Activity• Concert Inc. Activity • Cooperative Education Program• Job Connect Programs• Gr. 7-8 English, Math, Science• Gr. 9 Math

Ontario Skills Passport Helps BuildCompetence, Confidence and Connections!

• Learners and job seekers can use the OSP:– to learn about the Essential Skills and work habits important for success in the workplace; – to identify the Essential Skills and work habits they already have, to develop them further

and to acquire new ones;– to transfer them to a job or to further education and training.

• Teachers, trainers and literacy practitioners can use the OSP:– to enhance classroom relevancy; – to strengthen school-work connections; – to engage learners; and– to help them build their Essential Skills and work habits.

• Employers can use the OSP:– to assess and record an individual’s demonstration of Essential Skills and work habits; and– in their recruitment and training practices.

We finally have a common language that helps connect people and supports successful transitions…

LET’S USE IT!!!

Thank you!

For more information, contact:

Chantal LocatelliSenior Policy AdviserMinistry of Education900 Bay St., 4th Floor Mowat BlockToronto, OntarioM7A 1L2Tel: 416-325-7886Fax: 416-327-6749chantal.locatelli@ontario.ca