1. Welcome To Calgary’s Essential Skills Problem: Are you making a difference? By Carole Jensen and Renate Donnovan

2. Introductions Please take out your cell phone Use the cell number we just gave you on the piece of paper Text the following to the number on the piece of paper: Hi! My name is (and your name). Then find the person you just texted, say hello, and return their phone number.

3. What Are Essential Skills? The Conference Board of Canada asked employers : “If you remove technical or specialized skills, what skills does every person in your company need to be employed regardless of his/her position?” They called these “essential skills” – skills necessary for successful employment in Canada.

4. How Many Essential Skills Did You Use to Text Your Message? Handout and discussion HINT: The Gen Y’s don’t phone or email—they text!! Texting is becoming an essential skill; in some jobs, it already is!

5. 9 Essential Skills Reading Document Use Numeracy Writing Oral Communication Working with Others Thinking Computer Use Continuous Learning

6. BVC College Wide Outcomes Communication Document Use Numeracy Technology Skills Working with Others Thinking Positive Attitudes & Behaviours Continuous Learning Health & Wellness Awareness Citizenship and Intercultural Competence Environment Sustainability

7. Essential Skills In the Past Video How many essential skills were used in that/to watch the video?

8. Why Are Essential Skills Important? Economic efficiency:the impact of literacy upon long rates of GDP growth Equity:the impact of literacy upon individual health, labour market, social and educational outcomes Tax efficiency: the return on tax investments in education and health Scott Murray, Skill Plan Conference Presentation, Oct 2009, Understanding the Market for Essential Skills Upgrading through Market Segmentation Analysis: New Results

9. The transition from learning to read to reading to learn: Learning to read Readingto learn Proficiency dominated by cognitive strategies Proficiency dominated by mechanics of reading 225 275 325 375 500 0 Level 5 Level 4 Level 2 Level 3 Level 1 Scott Murray, Skill Plan Conference Presentation, Oct 2009, Understanding the Market for Essential Skills Upgrading through Market Segmentation Analysis: New Results

10. The efficiency of the market for literacy:Literacy skill surpluses and shortages by level of the job(in workers) There are NO level 1 jobs in Canada 80% of Jobs in Canada require level 3 Scott Murray, Skill Plan Conference Presentation, Oct 2009, Understanding the Market for Essential Skills Upgrading through Market Segmentation Analysis: New Results

11. Absolute and relative risks of being in literacy shortage by occupation, Canada 2006: Scott Murray, Skill Plan Conference Presentation, Oct 2009, Understanding the Market for Essential Skills Upgrading through Market Segmentation Analysis: New Results

12. Essential Skills – in the Future Video Which essential skills were used in the video/to watch the video? How has “what is essential” changed? How is it likely to change in the next 10 years?

13. Teaching With Essential Skills “While instructors may teach Essential Skills, most often these skills are subtly integrated within the curriculum rather than explicitly taught as essential workplace skills. One issue that arises from teaching essential skills implicitly within the curriculum is that it becomes the responsibility of the learner to figure out how a classroom skill, like solving a problem or working in a group, translates to action in the workplace.” http://www.dojolearning.com/course-contents-action/id.230/chapter.1

14. Teaching With Essential Skills Work on increasing your own Know subtle and obvious ways we use essential skills in all aspects of life Become an advocate for essential skills Move from embedded to explicit Use real life assignments and activities where ever possible Make tangible links between the classroom activity and the real world. (ie. Reading a novel teaches you to extract information from a large text—similar to the fine print in your mortgage documents. Skill Plan tools (www.skillplan.ca) and TOWES (www.towes.ca)