LESSON 1: EMPLOYABILITY SKILLS Employability Skills are the generic skills you need to get and to keep a job. Employability Skills are needed in both entry level (beginning) jobs and technical and professional jobs (those that require training and education beyond high school). Many Employability Skills are used in other areas of life, including the roles of parent, consumer, community member and citizen. Employability Skills are grouped into three categories: (1) Academic, (2) Personal Management, and (3)Teamwork Skills.
LESSON 2: PERSONAL MANAGEMENT SKILLS Personal Management Skills help you handle responsibility and include the attitudes and habits you bring to the work place. Employers want people who can take responsibility for themselves and their work. This means being dependable, working hard, doing your best, being honest, caring about your job and doing the job right. Most people lose their jobs because they lack Personal Management Skills. People get fired for absenteeism, substance abuse and poor performance.
LESSON 3: COMMUNICATIONAL SKILLS Communication is a 2-way street. Each person brings their own experiences, perceptions, values and emotions to the conversation. The same words can mean 2 different things to 2 different people. Active listening improves your relationships in 3 ways: 1. It forces people to listen attentively to each other and builds trust. 2. It helps people to avoid misunderstandings because people are confirming that they really understand the other person’s message (emotions, point of view included) 3. It encourages people to communicate more. (result of being shown respect, interest, etc.)
LESSON 4: TEAMWORK SKILLS Teamwork Skills help you work with others. These skills are more important in the work place of the High Tech Age than they were in the past. Most workers will work as part of a team to organize, plan, execute and evaluate their work. The role of a boss or supervisor will change as leadership and management become the shared responsibility of the team members. Working cooperatively with others will include more caring and sharing.
