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Essential Skills: What Are They?

Essential Skills are the skills needed for work, learning and life. They provide the foundation for learning all other skills and enable people to evolve with their jobs and adapt to workplace change. The Essential Skills are: Reading, Document Use, Numeracy, Writing, Oral Communication, Working with Others, Thinking, Computer Use and Continuous Learning.

Reading

Definition

Reading Text refers to reading material that is in the form of sentences or paragraphs. (link)

Assess

  • Reading Indicator (pdf): Essential Skills Reading Indicator is a tool designed to help you better understand your Reading skills. It consists of 10 examples of assessment questions to give you an indication of your skill level. (HRSDC,2010)
  • Reading Self Assessment: Complete this self-assessment to help you understand your Reading strengths and find areas for improvement. (HRSDC,2010)

Develop

  • Reading Tip Sheet: The Reading Tip Sheet provides practical tips to help you improve you Reading skills. (HRSDC,2010)
  • Reading Practice (Measure up Website): The Measure Up website allows you to practice your Reading skills based on the Essential Skills complexity levels of 1-5.

Apply

  • Test Reading Skills (Measure Up): Once you have practiced your Reading skills, you can test your progress on the Measure Up website.
  • Reading Skills Levels (OSP): The Ontario Skills Passport website offers a brief description of what Reading skills are expected to be at each Essential Skill level.

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Document Use

Definition

Document Use refers to tasks that involve a variety of information displays in which words, numbers, icons and other visual characteristics (eg., line, colour, shape) are given meaning by their spatial arrangement. For example, graphs, lists, tables, blueprints, schematics, drawings, signs and labels are documents used in the world of work. (link)

Assess

  • Document Use Indicator (pdf): The Essential Skills Document Use Indicator is a tool designed to help you better understand your ability to use documents effectively. (HRSDC,2010)
  • Document Use Self Assessment (pdf): Use this self-assessment to help you understand your Document Use strengths and areas for improvement. (HRSDC,2010)

Develop

Apply

  • Test Document Use Skills: Once you have practiced your Document Use skills, you can test your progress using the Measure Up Website.
  • Document Use Skills Levels (OSP): The Ontario Skills Passport website offers a brief description of which Document Use skills are expected to be at each Essential Skill level.

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Numeracy

Definition

Numeracy refers to the workers' use of numbers and their being required to think in quantitative terms. (link)

Assess

  • Numeracy Indicator (pdf): The Essential Skills Numeracy Indicator is a tool designed to help you better understand your Numeracy skills. (HRSDC,2010)
  • Numeracy Self Assessment (pdf): Complete this self-assessment to help you understand your Numeracy strengths and areas for improvement. (HRSDC,2010)

Develop

Apply

  • Test Numeracy Skills: Once you have practiced your Numeracy skills, you can test your progress on the Measure Up website.
  • Numeracy Skill Levels (OSP): The Ontario Skills Passport website offers a brief description of which Numeracy Skills are expected to be at each Essential Skill level.

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Writing

Definition

Writing includes: writing texts and writing in documents; Non paper based writing. (link)

Assess

  • Writing Self Assessment (pdf): Complete this self-assessment to help you understand your Writing strengths and weaknesses. (HRSDC,2010)

Develop

  • Writing Tip Sheet: This tool provides practical tips to help you improve you Writing skills. (HRSDC,2010)

Apply

  • Writing Skill Levels (OSP): The Ontario Skills Passport website offers a brief description of what Writing skills are expected to be at each Essential Skill level.

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Oral Communication

Definition

Oral Communication pertains primarily to the use of speech to give and exchange thoughts and information by workers in an occupational group. (link)

Assess

  • Oral Communication Self Assessment (pdf): Complete this self-assessment to help you understand your Oral Communication strengths and areas for improvement. (HRSDC,2010)

Develop

Apply

  • Oral Communication Skill Levels (OSP): The Ontario Skills Passport website offers a brief description of what Oral Communication skills are expected to be at each Essential Skill level.

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Working with Others

Definition

Working with Others examines the extent to which employees work with others to carry out their tasks. Do they have to work co-operatively with others' Do they have to have the self-discipline to meet work targets while working alone'. (link)

Assess

Develop

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Continuous Learning

Definition

Continuous Learning examines the requirement for workers in an occupational group to participate in an ongoing process of acquiring skills and knowledge. (link)

Assess

Develop

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Thinking Skills

Definition

Thinking Skills differentiates between five different types of cognitive functions. However, these functions are interconnected. (link)

Assess

  • Thinking Skills Assessment (pdf): Complete this self-assessment to help you understand your Thinking Skills strengths and areas for improvement. (HRSDC,2010)

Apply

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Computer Use

Definition

Computer Use indicates the variety and complexity of computer use within the occupational group. (link)

Assess

  • Computer Use Self Assessment (pdf): Complete this self-assessment to help you understand your Computer Use strengths and areas for improvement. (HRSDC,2010)

Develop

Apply

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