1. Second order Employability Skills
Jeff Landine, University of New Brunswick
John Stewart, University of New Brunswick
Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Annual Conference
Victoria, B.C., May 8, 2014

2. Comment on the deficiencies of only considering employability skills such as those suggested by the Conference Board of Canada.
Analyze a case study for the assets and growth areas necessary for employability.
Apply a comprehensive model to assess employability.
Acquire some new perspectives and strategies for helping clients become more employable.
Objectives

3. Employability Skills (narrowly defined)
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 for all levels of education (Overtoom, 2000).
Employability Skills (Conference Board of Canada)
21st Century Skills for Workplace Success (USA)
THE FORGOTTEN HALF REVISITED (Halperin 1998) revealed that a majority of high school students leave school without a solid base of academic and SCANS skills that will enable them to succeed in postsecondary occupational or academic education. In 1988 the commission issued two landmark reports, "The Forgotten Half: Non-College Youth in America" and "The Forgotten Half: Pathways to Success for America's Youth and Young Families." The reports, which Halperin co-authored, revealed the obstacles facing non-college-bound youth making their way in today's problematic economy, where advanced technical skills are the coin of the realm and a high-school diploma falls far short of guaranteeing a job. (Halperin also edited an update, "The Forgotten Half Revisited," in 1998.)
Employability Skills (narrowly defined)

4. Employability Skills (broadly defined)
Psycho-social, multi-faceted, person-centered construct
Help workers to adapt (acquire, fulfill and obtain) to work roles
Adapting makes use of a number of competencies – attitudes, knowledge and skills.
These competencies exist on a number of hierarchical levels: knowledge of self, world of work; decision skills, technical skills, human-relation skills, personal qualities.
Employability Skills (broadly defined)

5. See handout
Case study

6. 1. What personality tendencies can you assess that may influence this client's behavior? 2. What self-constructs can you identify that may influence this client's behavior? 3. What assets (both personal and environmental) does this client bring to the job search process? 4. What roles are evident or being established at this point in her development?
Case Study Questions

7. Employability Self- regulatory, psychosocial competencies
Strategies and behaviors to achieve work goals
Strengths/capacities that are used at the person-in-environment intersection
Second-order generally indicates an extended or higher complexity.
Components of Employability
Career Adaptability
Human and Social Capital
Career Identity
Employability

8. Career Adaptability Personal Factors:
Optimism – hope concerning the career challenge and future
Propensity to learn – threats to jobs and opportunities elsewhere
Openness – embrace the learning, exploration
Internal locus of control – intentional decision-making
Generalized self-efficacy – perceptions/judgements about the ability to handle life-events
Career Adaptability

9. Human and Social Capital
Human – personal resources
Includes age, education, work experience, job performance, cognitive ability, etc.
Education and experience – best predictors
Experience – builds proficiency and tacit knowledge (portable skills)
Investments: continuous learning and adaptive orientation
Social – social networks
Provided information and influence to the job seeker
Strong social networks contribute support and cooperation
Span organizations and time
Human and Social Capital

10. Cognitive schemas that merge together personality, knowledge, skills, aspirations, motivation, values, opportunities, etc.
Coherent narratives that frame, give meaning to and provide continuity between past, present and future career experiences
Requires external validation
Is a self-regulative process
Career identity

11. Employability Skills Career Adaptability Human and Social Capital Career Identity Concern Control Curiosity Confidence Human Social Self Schemas Optimism Desire Openness Self-efficacy Education Networks Self-efficacy to learn Vision Experience Intuition Locus of Control Motivation Self-esteem Internal Locus Roles of Control Self-confidence Planning Time manage- Thinking Ability to Skills ment skills strategies monitor the process Information Gathering Strategies
Employability Skills

12. Counselling for Adaptability
Developing client readiness – cope with change
Focus clients to look ahead and around
Assess: planfulness, exploration of self and situation, decision-making skills
Counselling for Adaptability

13. Goals for Adaptability
Career adaptability
Focus on outcomes
Willingness to change
Competencies need to change
Focus on work role
Goals for Adaptability

14. Counselling for career identity
Prepare the client for change (conditions for growth)
Facilitate reflection on work roles
Identify work and career motives
Document the clients “narrative” of career identity to self and others
Counselling for career identity

15. Goals for career identity
Receptive to feedback
Confidence
Safety
Openness and interest to grow
Acquiring a repertoire of career roles
Negotiating work-family conflicts
Goals for career identity

16. The career roles model: six classes of career roles.
Organizational performance domain: Exploitation - Exploration -
Dominant personal motive: production, results innovation, change
Distinction -
Autonomy/agency Maker Expert
Self-assertion
Integration -
Connectedness, belonging, Presenter Guide
cooperation, sharing
Structure -
Cohesion/meaning; Director Inspirator
institutional structure
The career roles model: six classes of career roles.

17. Employability Skills 2000+
Personal Management Skills
demonstrate positive attitudes and behaviours confidence; feels good about self; integrity; show interest, initiative, and effort
be responsible accountable
be adaptable open to change; learn from mistakes; accept feedback
Learn continuously curiosity
Work safely
Employability Skills 2000+

18. Employability Skills 2000+
Fundamental Skills
communicate appreciates the POV of others
manage information
use numbers
think and solve problems
In 1992 the Conference Board of Canada released its Employability Skills Profile (ESP) in response to widespread demand from educators and students for a clear statement about the generic skills that employers are looking for.
Employability Skills 2000+

19. Employability Skills 2000+
Teamwork Skills
work with others
participate in projects and tasks understand roles; lead or support
Employability Skills 2000+