Essential Skills and the
Ontario Skills Passport
in Action!
Chantal Locatelli and Jodie Wells
CESBA Conference
December 6, 2007
Human Resources and Social Development
Canada’s Essential Skills Research
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Reading Text
Document Use
Writing
Numeracy
Oral Communication
Thinking Skills
Working With Others
Computer Use
Continuous Learning
Why These Skills Are Essential
• Enable people to perform tasks required by their
jobs as well as adapt to change.
• Generic skills used in virtually all occupations
and throughout daily life in different forms and at
different levels of complexity.
• They are transferable from school to work, job to
job and sector to sector.
• They provide the foundation for learning other
skills, such as technical skills and job/workplace
specific skills.
Workforce Skills
Combination of:
JW (Job-Workplace Specific
Skills)
- employer and position
specific
TS (Technical Skills)
-
occupation specific
ES (Essential Skills)
-
foundational
transferable
JW
TS
ES
Complexity Rating Scale
• The Complexity Rating Scale indicates the level
of complexity involved in the use of a skill in a
particular task.
• The least complex tasks are classified at level 1;
the most complex tasks are classified at level 5
or at level 4 if there are only 4 levels for a skill.
Skill levels are associated with workplace tasks and
not the worker performing these tasks.
Essential Skills Profiles
 Essential Skills Profiles describe how each skill
is used in an occupation.
 Researchers asked workers:
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What do you do in your job?
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Why do you do it?
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How do you do it?
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What resources and materials do you use?
 269 profiles and others are under development.
Components of an Essential Skills
Profile
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Brief description of the occupation
List of the most important Essential Skills
Typical tasks grouped by skill and skill level
Physical aspects of performing the job and the attitudes
that workers feel are needed to do the job well
 Future trends affecting Essential Skill requirements for
the occupation
 Links to sites with information on this occupation, such
as the National Occupational Classification Matrix (NOC)
and Job Futures
National Occupational Classification Matrix (NOC)
 The profiles align with the NOC – a national standard.
 Occupations are grouped in the NOC by type of
education required.
 C & D level occupations require a high school education
or less.
 B level occupations require a college education or
apprenticeship training (e.g. Red Seal trades).
 A level occupations require university education.
 0 level are managerial level occupations
Essential Skills Research
Website
• Information on the Essential Skills Research,
including the Essential Skills Profiles, are
available at:
http://srv108.services.gc.ca/english/general/hom
e_e.shtml
• Copies of the National Occupational
Classification Matrix (NOC) that describes
occupations in Canada by educational level and
occupational grouping are available at a
minimum cost from HRSDC at: 1-800-635-7943
or http://www23.hrdc-drhc.gc.ca
Essential Skills Matter to Workers, Employers
and Governments…
• The International Adult Literacy Survey (IALS) (1994)
and the Adult Literacy and Life Skills Survey (2004)
noted that 40% of Canadian working-age adults have
low essential skills levels (levels 1 & 2) while most
Canadian occupations require level 3 and higher.
• The Prime Minister’s Expert Panel on Skills (2000)
concluded that the Canadian workforce typically had the
necessary technical skills, but had critical gaps in its
essential skills.
• Statistics Canada correlates increased Essential Skills
capacity with higher earnings, stronger labour force
attachment and better health among individuals.
Conference Board of Canada’s Case Studies on Hard and
Soft Returns on Essential Skills Investments
Organizations reported:
• Safer workplace – fewer accidents
• Higher productivity and more efficiencies
• Lower turnover and absenteeism rates
• Improved performance appraisal processes
Individuals, Teams, Organizations and Family & Community Benefits:
• Increase in self-confidence, initiative, communication, teamwork
• More open to change and lifelong learning attitude
• Better able to make decisions and to recognize and solve problems
• Increase in volunteerism and ability to help children with homework
• Enjoy improved health
HRSDC publication HIP-028-03-05E
The Skills Challenge
We must help learners and job seekers see
themselves as “knowledge workers” with
skills that they can develop in school and
training programs and transfer to the
workplace….They must understand that they
will have to continue to develop their skills to
keep their jobs and progress in the workplace.
The Ontario Skills Passport Opportunity
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Bilingual FREE web-based tool
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Provides clear descriptions of Essential Skills and
important work habits
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Provides a consistent method for employers to assess
and record skills and work habits
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Offers applications, resources and assessment tools to
support its use in a variety of educational and training
contexts
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http://skills.edu.gov.on.ca
Relevance Engages Learners!
• “The need to find meaning is a strong
motivational force in life of each of us. If
teachers can consistently help students
connect subject matter content with the
context of application, I believe that we
may be astonished at the significant
increase in learning.”
- Dale Parnell, Cerebral Context, AVA 1996
Learn about the Essential Skills and
work habits and see how people use
them in work, learning and life.
(under development)
Access the
OSP
brochure
and
postcards,
and
resources,
designed for
use in a
wide range
of
educational
and training
contexts.
Search
sample
tasks for
Essential
Skills and
work habits
in work,
learning
and life.
See how workers use
Essential Skills on
the job.
Essential
Skills and
Work Habits
http://skills.edu.gov.on.ca
Occupation
s and
Tasks
Use this practitioner
intake, referral, and
planning tool to focus on
Essential Skills and work
habits.
(under development)
OSP
Resource
s
Create an OSP Work
Plan that focuses on
the Essential Skills, job
tasks and work habits
related to your work
placement. Employers
record your progress in
this work plan.
Search
the
Databas
e
Check-In Tool
Create
a Work
Plan
Create a
Transition
Plan
Create an OSP Transition Plan to transfer
your Essential Skills and work habits to a
job or further education or training.
Access local education, training and
employment-related information at
http://www.iwin.on.ca/
Employer
Tools
Create a Job Ad/Description
Develop an Interview Checklist
Give feedback on job
performance and skills
development
Check-Up
Tools
Assess, practice and
build your Essential
Skills and work habits.
(under development)
The OSP Supports Life-long Skills Development
Use the OSP to:
• Learn about the Essential Skills and work habits important for
success in work, learning and life;
• See how workers use Essential Skills on the job;
• Understand that these skills transfer from school to work, job to job
and sector to sector;
• Strengthen learning-work connections;
• Identify the Essential Skills and work habits an individual possesses
and those that they would like and/or need to develop;
• Self-assess, practice and develop Essential Skills and work habits;
• Document demonstration of Essential Skills and work habits and
plan next steps, including preparing skills-based résumés, preparing
for interviews and planning further skills development;
• Support successful transitions to work or further education or
training and on-going skills development.
Essential Skills in the OSP
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Reading Text
Writing
Document Use
Computer Use
Oral Communication
Numeracy
- Money Math
- Scheduling or Budgeting and Accounting
- Measurement and Calculation
- Data Analysis
- Numerical Estimation
Thinking Skills
- Job Task Planning and Organizing
- Decision Making
- Problem Solving
- Finding Information
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4
5
6
7
HRSDC’s 9 Essential Skills
Reading Text
Writing
Document Use
Computer Use
Oral Communication
NUMERACY
Money Math
Scheduling or Budgeting and Accounting
Measurement and Calculation
Data Analysis
Numerical Estimation
THINKING SKILLS
Job Task Planning and Organizing
Decision Making
Problem Solving
Finding Information
Significant Use of Memory
Critical Thinking
8 Working with Others
9 Continuous Learning
OSP Skills
Reading Text
Writing
Document Use
Computer Use
Oral Communication
Money Math
Scheduling or Budgeting and Accounting
Measurement and Calculation
Data Analysis
Numerical Estimation
Job Task Planning and Organizing
Decision Making
Problem Solving
Finding Information
Significant Use of Memory is not included in the
OSP database.
Critical Thinking is not included in the OSP
database.
Working with Others is included as an OSP Work
Habit.
Continuous Learning is not included in the OSP.
Essential Skills
HRSDC and the OSP
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The OSP lists the 5 numeracy-related skills separately. This allows for a more precise
identification and development of a person’s mathematical literacy and its application
in the workplace.
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The OSP only includes the Essential Skills that have a validated complexity rating
scale and occupation-specific workplace tasks for the different skill levels. This allows
for a consistent method of assessing these skills and planning/tracking skill
development over time. Currently, Continuous Learning is not included in the OSP.
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The OSP lists the following "Thinking Skills“ separately: Job Task Planning and
Organizing, Decision Making, Problem Solving and Finding Information. Currently,
Critical Thinking and Significant Use of Memory are not included.
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The OSP includes work habits important for success in the workplace and provides
performance indicators for each one. Currently, Working with Others is not included in
the OSP, however, “teamwork” is one of the work habits.
Work Habits in the OSP
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The OSP includes the following work habits considered important for
success work, learning and life:
working safely
teamwork
reliability
organization
working independently
initiative
self-advocacy
customer service
entrepreneurship
Note: There are no complexity levels associated with work habits in the
OSP.
The OSP Database
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Searchable and interactive database of more
than 16,000 workplace tasks, classified by skill,
skill level and occupation
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Tasks come from Essential Skills Profiles and
will increase over time as more profiles are
published
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Key applications are: Search the OSP
Database, Create a Work Plan, Create a
Transition Plan and Create a Job Ad or Job
Description.
Search the OSP Database…
Make Learning Real!
• Search the OSP Database application generates
a list of tasks by skill and skill level(s) for one or
more occupations.
• This information can enhance classroom
relevancy and strengthen school-work
connections.
• All teachers/trainers/literacy practitioners can
use this feature of the OSP to engage learners.
Create an OSP Work Plan…
Quick, Easy, Valuable!
• OSP Work Plan lists tasks by skill & skill level that a learner/job
seeker will have an opportunity to perform in workplace.
• The Standard OSP Work Plan lists the tasks for the most important
essential skills for the occupation.
• Customize OSP Work Plan to make it appropriate and meaningful to
the learner/job seeker and relevant to the workplace by:
deleting tasks the learner/job seeker will not have a chance to
perform
adding tasks and skills the learner/job seeker wants to perform
and practice
adding to “Other Tasks” section, tasks identified by employer or
tasks from the Essential Skills Profiles not in the OSP
database.
• Only the employer records in, and signs, the OSP Work Plan.
OSP and Work Placements (including co-operative
education) and Other Forms of Experiential Learning
Ways that teachers, trainers and literacy practitioners can
use the OSP:
 Pre-placement reality check
 Identify suitable workplace tasks for the placement
 Inform the development of the PPLP or training plan
 As part of a rich task to assess and evaluate learner
performance
Create an OSP Transition Plan
and transfer your skills to a job!
Steps to creating an OSP Transition Plan:
1:
Choose a job ad or an occupation
2.
Decode the job ad or occupational description and
learn more about the job requirements
3:
Connect your own experiences with the job
4:
Plan next steps – identify useful course/training;
prepare a skills-focused résumé/cover letter;
prepare for an interview.
Job Connect Program
• Information and Resource Service (IRS)
• Employment Planning and Preparation
(EPP)
• Job Development and Placement Support
(JDPS)
Literacy and Basic Skills
Program
OSP provides a valuable tool for LBS instructors and learners preparing for
the direct to work transition pathway by providing:
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Information on expectations of a particular occupation (friendly NOC search
for both career search and exploration and curriculum development)
Opportunity for learner and practitioner to work together and create an OSP
Work Plan that can serve as a training plan as well as an authentic
computer based experience
Additional information on work habits, and, if appropriate, identifying related
services or supports that can be embedded in learner’s program
An understanding of the “transferability” of ES and the value of preparing
skills-based résumés and covering letters, as well as preparing for
interviews
A self-assessment check-list to demonstrate transition readiness
A record of ES and work habits demonstrated by learners who have a job
placement opportunity.
Curriculum Documents
The OSP and Essential Skills are referenced in
all revised Ontario curriculum documents to:
– Strengthen school-work connections by connecting
curriculum expectations and the workplace
– Enhance workplace relevancy in the classroom by
referring to workplace tasks and using authentic
workplace materials
– To support career education and exploration
– To engage learners
Guidance and Career Education
Courses
Two Courses:
Discovering the Workplace (GLD2O)– Gr. 10
Navigating the Workplace (GLN4O) – Gr. 12
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Explicitly include Essential Skills in their curriculum expectations and make
use of the Ontario Skills Passport.
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Incorporate a broad range of experiential learning opportunities which are
intended to meet the needs of students who are at various stages of
readiness for work.
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May be taken prior to or concurrent with cooperative education credits to
provide an extended experiential learning opportunity in the workplace.
SPECIALIST HIGH SKILLS MAJORS –
NEW
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A ministry-approved specialized program
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Students who graduate with a SHSM designation on their diploma are prepared for success in a particular sector and in the
post-secondary destination of their choice, whether it be apprenticeship training, a college or university program, or the
workplace.
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Sectors in 2007-08: Arts and Culture, Business, Construction, Environment, Health and Wellness, Hospitality and Tourism,
Manufacturing, Transportation and Primary Industries: Agriculture, Forestry, Horticulture and Landscaping, Mining
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Each SHSM has a Ministry-approved framework that consists of:
Allows students to focus on the knowledge and skills (including Essential Skills and work habits) that are of particular
importance in certain economic areas, and to obtain certifications recognized in those sectors, as they work towards meeting the
requirements for an Ontario Secondary School Diploma.
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8-10 credits
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“reach ahead” experiences in a selected postsecondary destination. These experiences enable Grade 11 and 12 students to gain
confidence in their ability to be successful, refine skills and work habits, and make informed choice about future careers and next
sector-recognized certifications and training;
workplace experience through experiential learning;
the Ontario Skills Passport to: explore occupations, learn about Essential
Skills and work habits, create Work Plans in which employers record their demonstration of skills and work habits, and
prepare for next steps (e.g. conduct job searches, create résumés and prepare for interviews); and
steps.
OSP is a mandatory component of all SHSMs !
NEW OSP Promotional
Materials
• OSP Brochure – How to find GREAT workers for
your business … easy-to-understand descriptions
of the tasks involved in the job make work
placements be more productive
• OSP Learner/Job Seekers Card – How to “wow”
employers and get the job you want!
• OSP Employer Card – Now there’s a better way
to interview, evaluate and train your workers
• Available in English and French
• FREE: order on line at http://skills.edu.gov.on.ca
OSP Employer Tools - NEW
Employer Tools:
• Create a job ad/description that focuses on key Essential
Skills and work habits for the job
• Develop an interview checklist that targets these skills
and work habits
• Give constructive feedback on job performance and
skills development
• Expected: November 2007
By using the same job language, employers and job
seekers can quickly decide if a job is the “right fit”
Under Development: ES & WH in Everyday Life Resource
Essential Skills and Work Habits in Everyday Life
• Scenarios that depict Essential Skills and work
habits in everyday life;
• Audio and video components
• Expected: winter 2008
Under Development: ES & WH Check-In
Tool
Essential Skills & Work Habits Check-In
Tool:
• An intake, referral and planning tool for
practitioners;
• Being piloted in Adult Ed Common
Assessment Pilot Project
• Expected: winter 2008.
Under Development: ES & WH Check-UP Tools
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Learner Essential Skills and Work Habits Check-Up Tool:
Guides learners and job seekers through a self-assessment for each of the
ES and work habits listed in the OSP. User receives a score card with
personal results which can also be compared to skill sets of experienced
workers in occupation(s) of interest.
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Facilitated Essential Skills Check-Up Tool:
Provide learners and job seekers with the opportunity to practice, build and
demonstrate their ES (Levels 1-3) through completing tasks used in
selected occupations at the C, D and B levels of the NOC. Requires
teacher/facilitator involvement; reliable indicator of ES competency.
Facilitator guides for use by: secondary school teachers, literacy
practitioners, Job Connect employment counsellors and job developers,
Apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship trainers.
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Expected: winter 2008
OSP Web Development Advisory Committee
Suggestions and feedback on applications and resources to support use of OSP.
Participating organizations:
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Alpha Plus
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Association des conseillères et des conseillers en orientation franco-ontariens
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Canadian Language Benchmarks
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Collaborative of Adult Employment Centres of Ontario
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Community Living
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Ontario Association of Adult and Continuing Education
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Job Connect College Sector
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Learning Disabilities Association of Ontario
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Metis Nation of Ontario
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Ontario Association of Help Centres
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Ontario Association of Youth Employment Centres
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Ontario Business Education Partnership
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Ontario Co-operative Education Association
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Ontario Council of Technical Education
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Ontario Federation of Indian Friendship Centres
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Ontario School Counselors’ Association
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Ontario WorkInfoNet
OSP Resources – Developed by
teachers and trainers
Sample OSP Resources
Resources developed by teachers/trainers…
Click on the OSP Toolbox and follow the OSP Resources links
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Specialist High Skills Majors NEW
Icons (copy&paste), Bingo Cards, Posters
Transfer Your Skills Activity
Concert Inc. Activity
Cooperative Education Program
Job Connect Programs
Gr. 7-8 English, Math, Science
Gr. 9 Math
Ontario Skills Passport Helps Build
Competence, Confidence and Connections!
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Learners and job seekers can use the OSP:
– to learn about the Essential Skills and work habits important for success in the workplace;
– to identify the Essential Skills and work habits they already have, to develop them further and
to acquire new ones;
– to transfer them to a job or to further education and training.
Teachers, trainers and literacy practitioners can use the OSP:
– to enhance classroom relevancy;
– to strengthen school-work connections;
– to engage learners; and
– to help them build their Essential Skills and work habits.
Employers can use the OSP:
– to assess and record an individual’s demonstration of Essential Skills and work habits; and
– in their recruitment and training practices.
We finally have a common language that helps
connect people and supports successful transitions…
LET’S USE IT!!!
Thank you!
For more information, contact:
Chantal Locatelli
Senior Policy Adviser
Ministry of Education
900 Bay St., 4th Floor Mowat Block
Toronto, Ontario
M7A 1L2
Tel: 416-325-7886
Fax: 416-327-6749
chantal.locatelli@ontario.ca