Presenters: Andrew Schmitz, Amanda Nowensky

What are the Essential Skills, and how were they identified? What Essential Skills resources are available to you? Are we finding the Essential Skills framework valuable? How? How are the Essential Skills valuable to you as an instructor? How are they valuable to your students?

Reading Numeracy Writing Oral Communication Continuous Learning Computer Skills Document Use Working with Others Thinking

23 countries Proficiency ratings on a scale of 0 – 500. A score of level 3 (225 – 326) is the minimum level adults need to deal with the complexities of life and work. Looked at 3 areas : writing, document use and numeracy.

Adapted scales from the IALS (International Adult Literacy Survey) and the CLB’s (Canadian Language Benchmarks) and drew on resources from the USA, Australia and the UK. Conducted over 3000 interviews. To date over 4500 interviews have been conducted and approximately 300 ES profiles have been posted on the ES website.

 Canadian Language Benchmarks / Essential Skills in the Workplace  The Learning Beacon   Manitoba Resource Bank for Teachers  Human Resources and Skills Development Canada  Ontario Skills Passport  Literacy Basics   Essential Skills Activities 

Incorporating Essential Skills into your classroom!

 Incorporating ES into your curriculum:  There is a two step process to incorporating ES into your curriculum. When you find that the activity has both a purpose and is something that individuals also do outside the classroom then you have an ES task. Ask yourself these questions:  What is the learner asked to do?  Why is the learner being asked to do it?  Might individuals do this outside the classroom? If ‘YES’ than you have an ES task.

This is a new course for Seneca’s GEA students. This course prepares our new immigrant for Canada’s labour market by not only making students essential skills literate but also by equipping them with materials they can use when searching for career.

 Students involved in this learning are engaged.  Students are engaged when they see value and practicality in their learning.  All working Canadians need these skills.  The Canadian government has outlined these essential skills as requirements for immigrants.  As college professors, we are preparing our students for the working world through practical, useful and transferable skills.

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