Working to Learn EBook - Travailler pour apprendre Ebook
Chapter 2: Introduction: The Working to Learn EBook
Welcome
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Nicholas Ahrens Graduate Red River College, Digital Multimedia
The Working to Learn EBook
The Working to Learn EBook shows the importance of using Essential Skills in the workplace. Canadian employers often observe that new graduates from Canadian colleges possess excellent technical and vocational skills related to the performance of their jobs. They further observe that new graduates often lack the workplace skills that make them successful in their jobs and in the work place. These workplace skills are called Essential Skills.
The Working to Learn EBook highlights four Essential Skills: Oral Communication; Working with Others; Continuous Learning; and Thinking Skills, and their application to the workplace.
The Canadian government has identified nine Essential Skills that people need for success in the workplace. They are:
Reading text, Document use, Writing, Numeracy, Oral Communication, Thinking Skills, Working with Others, Computer Use and Continuous Learning.
Each Essential Skill has a number of sub-skills. By learning more about these skills and their sub-skills you can identify your own level of skills, and learn how to improve them. Knowing how to describe and demonstrate your skills is an asset in applying for and advancing your employment. Employers require these skills.
An Interview with CEW Executive Director, Robin Millar
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Listen and learn how the CEW uses the Essential Skills at work.
Essential Skills Everyday
Essential Skills are found in the workplace, but they are also an important part of everyday life. Everyday activities, such as getting ready for school, participating in sports, or preparing a meal use Essential Skills.
For example, you might start your day by getting up to the sound of your alarm clock buzzer going off. You shower and head for the kitchen. Toast or cereal? Gulp down some coffee, grab your backpack and race outside to catch the bus. Get into class just as the start of class buzzer goes off.
Did you know that by the time you are sitting down to your first class you have used many different basic Essential Skills to help you get there?
What are some of these Essential Skills? Well, you used time management skills, when you allowed yourself enough time to get to school before the first bell. You used decision making skills in determining what to eat for breakfast. And, you used organizational skills when you got your backpack ready the night before.
Workplace Essential Skills are not that much different. But knowing what they are and using them well can make the difference in your success at work.
Getting Up in the Morning
Uploaded to YouTube by sinsammi
Communication Breakdown
This clip is a memory device, chosen to reinforce the importance of oral communication as an important skill. Uploaded to YouTube by Sonicat
Working with Others
This clip is a memory device to help you think about the importance of working with others. Uploaded to YouTube by Maverick51883
The Art of Learning
In this clip, Josh Waitzkin, Chess and Martial Arts champion, talks about continuous learning from a very personal perspective. This video, uploaded to YouTube by hbkfilms, is long but interesting.
Conclusion
The next three chapters of the Working to Learn EBook are case studies that demonstrate the Essential Skills of Oral Communication, Working with Others, Continuous Learning, and Thinking Skills in the workplace. At the end of the Ebook, you can take an Essential Workplace Skills Self-Assessment, to assess your own level of workplace Essential Skills.
Chapter 3: Tyrone's Dilemma - Thinking and Oral Communication Skills »
Comments
Robin's comments regarding the communication skills are essentia. You need to be able to know the different types of communication and how to apply them.
Josh: makes good points, long interview, didn't like the music, but was overall informative
I think Josh Waitzkin is great example of someone who seems to understand that continuous learning and applying yourself in the way you have being taught can be used in multiple areas of your life.
He evolved and grew instead of staying in his situation. Kudo's!
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