What are Key Skills?

No matter what work we are doing most employers want workers who can do the following:

listen and talk to other people, explain what they are doing, and ask questions. This is called the key skill of COMMUNICATION.

use numbers to solve problems, explain what the answers mean. This is the key skill of APPLICATION OF NUMBER.

work with computers to produce a document and to be able to use the internet. This is the key skill of INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY.

work with other people, especially colleagues at work. This is called WORKING WITH OTHERS.

look at a problem and work out ways to solve it. This is the key skill of PROBLEM SOLVING.

look at how we learn and work out ways of improving how we do things. This is called the key skill of IMPROVING OWN LEARNING AND PERFORMANCE.

Nearly all employers in most countries want workers with these skills. It does not matter what type of job we are talking about. Once learned, these key skills can be and are used in all jobs. It does not matter if you want to be a forestry worker or teacher, car worker or nurse, shop assistant or office worker, the same key skills are used by all. But obviously at different levels.

 

How do you find out where you can be trained?

Many of us gain the various key skills while we are school or college. We can acquire them through our usual lessons or through special courses in 'Communication', 'Numeracy' or 'IT'. Often, we are trained in their use when we get work. The training is then provided by our employer.

Unfortunately, many people become unemployed, often for long periods. Or young women who may have acquired the key skills leave their employment to start a young family. They often remain at home for many years. In both cases people have to learn the key skills again. You can find out where key skills training is provided in your local area from your Local Council, Employment Office, College, and now from 'Cyber Cafes', private training agencies and special government projects. What they will all want to know is 'What are your present skills levels like?' So, you may be asked to take a 'diagnostic test'. This is often done on a computer. You very quickly see the value of learning IT.

 

Key Skills and the Individual

Key skills not only help you in any kind of work you do. They can also help you get particular work - even becoming self-employed, especially if it uses IT. Here is an example of a person who benefited from acquiring key skills. He tells his own story himself.

Mathias Lengyel, from Sweden 'I was born in 1977 and during 1993-6 trained for 3 years at Helgesbo Forestry School. During this time and after the education period I worked with various forest works, especially manual work such as hewing timber and the use of machines in tree felling. In August 1996 I started my military service in Boden (a small town in the very north of Sweden). During this time I injured my back while training and have had a problem ever since then. I completed my national service, even though I was allowed to quit earlier. After the military service I could not work any more in the forest because of the injury. I took a job as a truck driver at a saw mill, which I like very much. But because of the problems with my back, I was on the sick-list most of the time the last year. As a result I took up a contact with the regional social insurance office (which all working people in Sweden belong to and pay tax for. They helped me look for training and further education. Through a friend I got information about a local project, an IT-Green House' which would train me in skills such as IT. It seemed to be interesting so I made an application and was accepted. - and that's how it was. During the last year I have learned a whole range of computer programmes and am now looking forward to starting a company in IT. I want to trade and build up an infrastructure, so the rural population can have access to quick broad band (high speed) connections to the internet.'

 

The KeyNet Project tries to provide trainers, employers and those seeking training in key skills with help. For example, by giving information about how to learn key skills and how they can be assessed or tested to find out what help is needed to make each person better skilled.

top