EMPLOYABILITY SKILLS Validated Self Assessment

1. EMPLOYABILITY SKILLSValidated Self Assessment … how to do it ! Developed by Rob Denton

2. OBJECTIVES *This presentation will help you answer the following: • What are the ‘LINKup Employability Skills’? • Why are Employability Skills so important? • Why ‘assess’ Employability Skills? • Who assesses your Employability Skills? • How are your Employability Skills assessed? • What are the 3 Performance Levels? • How can Validated Self Assessment benefit you? • What are the steps involved in Self Assessment? • What’s involved in Validation?

3. 1. What are the ‘LINKup Employability Skills’? Employability Skills • Employability Skills are … • Also known as: • Key Competencies • Generic skills • Life skills • DEMANDED by employers today • ESSENTIAL for applying your technical skills in the workplace • Valuable in ALL areas of life!

4. 1. What are the ‘LINKup Employability Skills’? The ‘LINKup Employability Skills’ … Initiative & Enterprise Self Management Learning Communication Teamwork Problem Solving Planning & Organising Technology Using Information Mathematical Techniques

5. 1. What are the ‘LINKup Employability Skills’? The ‘LINKup Employability Skills’ … include Employability Skills & Key Competencies as follows:

6. 2. Why are Employability Skills so important? Job advertisement JOBS! “… a self starter, highly analytical, effective problem solver, a good communicator ...”

7. 2. Why are Employability Skills so important? JOBS! Extract from Job & Person Specification Essential skills and attributes: • High levels of written and oral communication skills • Problem Solving and decision making ability • Ability to work effectively with others as part of a team • Ability to work in a changing environment • Ability to research, write and evaluate complex issues

8. 2. Why are Employability Skills so important? JOBS • Employers look for these skills because they want ‘work-ready’ graduates • Research shows successful companies recruit people with these skills • Proving you have these skills will help you get and keep a job LIFE IN GENERAL • Actually, these skills help you perform effectively in ALL areas of life

9. 2. Why are Employability Skills so important? Mark Rebecca EmployeeHR Manager Advanced Rapid Robotic Manufacturing Rebecca (HR Manager) … “We look for people with very good soft skills, in particular communication, teamwork and problem solving. We do not employ people who are unable to work in a team regardless of their technical skills. When I interviewed Mark, his soft skills such as communication, teamwork and problem solving stood out by far in comparison to the other people that we interviewed. And it was for this reason that Mark got the job.”

10. 2. Why are Employability Skills so important? Mark Rebecca EmployeeHR Manager Advanced Rapid Robotic Manufacturing Mark (Graduate and employee) … It is widely known that many employers look at soft skills first before they look at qualifications. Therefore presenting only a Diploma or a Degree is just simply not enough to ensure success at a job interview these days. Gaining recognition for your soft skills through the Key Competencies program will give you the edge at a job interview. And I guarantee it!”

11. 3. Why ‘assess’ Employability Skills? TWO reasons… • To PROVE your skills (through formal certification) • AND • To help you UNDERSTAND and IMPROVE them (through the assessment process) PROVE & IMPROVE!

12. 4. Who assesses your Employability Skills? YOU ! Assessment is based on SELF ASSESSMENT. YOU take control of your assessment and YOU benefit directly… YOU SELF ASSESS your performance, so YOU UNDERSTAND your skills, so YOU KNOW HOW to improve them, so YOU can PROVE & EXPLAIN them at a job interview, so YOUGET THE JOB! … plus many other benefits.

13. 4. Who assesses your Employability Skills? YOU ! Trainers, employers & peers offer great support but if THEY control the assessment then … THEY ASSESS your performance, so THEY UNDERSTAND your skills, so THEY can PROVE & EXPLAIN your skills at a job interview, so THEY GET THE JOB ????

14. 4. Who assesses your Employability Skills? “Who is responsible for developing (and assessing) generic skills?” “Its definitely the student’s responsibility” “I think the ultimate responsibility is yourself. But its more of a contract between myself and the facilitators or teachers” “The lecturer does make a big difference, and so does your employer, but at the end of the day … its YOU!” “Well I think its up to the individual” From video - Generic Skills: Views and experiences of workers and students. Courtesy of NCVER

15. 5. How are your Employability Skills assessed? Using a process called … Validated Self Assessment • You Self Assess your Employability Skills performance • as part of any suitable course or work activities (NOT extra activities!) • against clear criteria on Validated Self Assessment sheets • at one of 3 Performance Levels • and submit samples of evidence to your assessor for Validation

16. 6. What are the 3 Performance Levels? • Performance Levels indicate how self-directed you are in performing the Employability Skills • The more self-directed you are, the higher the performance level *IMPORTANT: Ensure you clearly understand the differences between these Performance Levels PERFORMANCE LEVEL 1 - FOLLOW given guidelines to achieve set goals PERFORMANCE LEVEL 2-CHOOSE from a range of available strategies, information and resources to achieve goals PERFORMANCE LEVEL 3-CREATE new strategies, or modify existing strategies, to meet the specific needs of a real life context Increasing Self-Directedness

17. 6. What are the 3 Performance Levels? • All Performance Levels are important • It is beneficial to prove that you can perform at every level • Achieving higher levels does not automatically mean you have achieved the lower levels PERFORMANCE LEVEL 1 - FOLLOW given guidelines to achieve set goals PERFORMANCE LEVEL 2-CHOOSE from a range of available strategies, information and resources to achieve goals PERFORMANCE LEVEL 3-CREATE new strategies, or modify existing strategies, to meet the specific needs of a real life context Increasing Self-Directedness

18. 7. How can Validated Self Assessment benefit you? It is designed to help you develop your Employability Skills ‘Know How’ enabling you to… Employability Skills • Identify your Employability Skills • Prove your Employability Skills • Improve your Employability Skills • Apply Employability Skills effectively anywhere • Talk convincingly about your Employability Skills at job interviews

19. 8. What are the steps involved in Self Assessment? Step 1: IDENTIFY a suitable activity to demonstrate an Employability Skill Step 2: COLLECT the appropriate Validated Self Assessment sheet Step 3: NOMINATE the appropriate Performance Level Step 4: REFLECT on the criteria for your nominated Performance Level Step 5: IDENTIFY samples of evidence to address the relevant criteria Let’s consider each step in turn …

20. 8. What are the steps involved in Self Assessment? Step 1: IDENTIFY a suitable activity to demonstrate an Employability Skill This can be ANY suitable course or work related activity including: • a class activity • any self directed learning activity • a course assessment task • industry project or work experience • committee meetings (eg Student Representative Council) • special events • ANY activity RELEVANT to your field of study or work

21. 8. What are the steps involved in Self Assessment? Step 2: COLLECT the appropriate Validated Self Assessment sheet Collect the appropriate Validated Self Assessment sheet for the Employability Skill you wish to assess. Available from ‘LINKup Assessments’ on homepage after you Register. Enter your Name, Date and title of the Assessment Activity Sam Brooks 29 Feb 2003 Library Orientation Activity

22. 8. What are the steps involved in Self Assessment? Step 3: NOMINATE the appropriate Performance Level Sam Brooks 29 Feb 2003 Library Orientation Activity Identify the ‘Level’ that reflects how ‘self-directed’ your approach was and tick your ‘Nominated Performance Level’ 

23. 8. What are the steps involved in Self Assessment? Step 4: REFLECT on the criteria for your nominated Performance Level • Criteria includes: • General descriptions • AND • Performance ‘Level’ criteria

24. 8. What are the steps involved in Self Assessment? Step 4: REFLECT on the criteria for your nominated Performance Level Readthe criteria for your ‘Level’ … VERYCAREFULLY Think about what you did in your activity that meets the criteria EXACTLY Tick the appropriate ‘Level’ criteria if you believe you achieved it 

25. 8. What are the steps involved in Self Assessment? Step 5: IDENTIFY samples of evidence to address the relevant criteria • IDENTIFY one sample of evidence to meet the criteria EXACTLY: • Important: • You DO NOT need to explain your evidence in detail … just clearly state, ‘point-out’ or reference it. Evidence could include … • a brief statement of what you did • a specific reference to relevant sections in a document or report for the activity • Trainer/Employer signature verifying demonstrated competence of criteria  Refer to section 1.2 of assignment sheet for clear statement of purpose of information

26. 8. What are the steps involved in Self Assessment? *** An EASIER WAY to get started *** • Start with the Interactive Forms making self assessment MUCH EASIER including… • audio tracks explaining the criteria • examples of evidence • simplified layout • enter your evidence online • and much more! Assessment Forms available from homepage in two formats: Word or Interactive

27. 9. What’s involved in Validation? Step 1: SUBMIT completed Validated Self Assessment to assessor Step 2: AssessorVALIDATES that your evidence meets the criteria Step 3: AssessorRECORDS all successful validations Step 4: Assessor providesFEEDBACK to help you improve Let’s consider each step in turn …

28. 9. What’s involved in Validation? Step 1: SUBMIT completed Validated Self Assessment to assessor Submit the Validated Self Assessment sheet (along with any attached evidence) to the assessor responsible for the activity you have performed. Step 2: Assessor VALIDATES that your evidence meets the criteria The Assessor simply… (1) Reads your evidence (2) Checks that it clearly & fully meets the relevant Performance Level criteria (3) Validates each satisfactory sample of evidence To achieve validation for the Employability Skill your evidence must satisfy *all criteria for your nominated Performance Level. (*NOTE: Assessor may accept up to TWO criteria achieved at a different Performance Level OR not achieved)

29. 9. What’s involved in Validation? 3. Assessor RECORDS all successful validations Successful validations are recorded. Unsuccessful assessments are not recorded but are valuable learning opportunities to prepare you for future assessments. EXAMPLE: “VSMART” Student Management System (TAFE SA, TTG) Records the number of successful assessments for each Employability Skill plus a log of evidence.

30. 9. What’s involved in Validation? 4. Assessor provides FEEDBACK to help you improve Carefully read any assessor feedback and feel free to discuss it with them. This is a great way to continue to improve your understanding and skills. EXAMPLE: You may receive feedback on a LINKup Review Sheet giving you specific recommendations to help you improve.

31. Validated Self Assessment will help you LINKupyourEmployability Skills Learning Initiative & Enterprise Planning Problem Solving Communicaton Teamwork Mathematical Techniques Using Information Self Management Using Technology … a framework for life

32. EMPLOYABILITY SKILLSValidated Self Assessment Rob Denton TAFE SA Tea Tree Gully Campus rob.denton@tafesa.edu.au (08) 8207 8192