About Skills for Work

Skills for Work courses help candidates to develop:

• skills and attitudes for employability
• positive attitudes to learning
• an understanding of the workplace
• skills and knowledge in a broad vocational area
• Core Skills: Communication, Numeracy, Information Technology, Problem Solving, Working with Others

A key feature of these courses is the emphasis on experiential learning. This means learning through practical experience and learning by reflecting on experience.

Learning through practical experience

Teaching/learning programmes should include all or some of the following:

• learning in real or simulated workplace settings
• learning through role play activities in vocational contexts
• carrying out case study work
• planning and carrying out practical tasks and assignments
• learning through reflecting at all stages of the experience
• Teaching/learning programmes should include all or some of the following:
• preparing and planning for the experience
• taking stock throughout the experience, reviewing and adapting as necessary
• reflecting after activity completion, evaluating and identifying learning points

Employability

Skills for Work learners learn the following skills and attitudes for employability, including self-employment:

• generic skills/attitudes valued by employers
• understanding the workplace and employee's responsibilities, for example time-keeping, appearance, customer care
• self-evaluation skills
• positive attitude to learning
• flexible approaches to solving problems
• adaptability and positive attitude to change
• confidence to set goals, reflect and learn from experience
• specific vocational skills/knowledge

Young people have direct access to workplace experiences or, through partnership arrangements, learning environments and experiences that simulate the workplace. These experiences might include visits, visiting speakers, role play and other practical activities.