The tools presented here will allow adults in official-language minority communities to identify, recognize and assess their generic skills in three life settings (work, family, community).
A tool to assess generic skills for employment: ESAT
ESAT (Employability Skills Assessment Tool) was created by Futureworx (Truro, Nova Scotia), to support people who face multiple barriers to employment. An online tool, it provides a framework for observation, evaluation and discussion around key soft skills for work.
ESAT offers a positive and respectful approach so that learners feel empowed to work on the behaviors and attitudes employers want. The tool allows people to define new strategies to deal with their challenges.
The ESAT skills framework consists of 9 attitudes and behaviors. To complete this framework, RESDAC developed a new framework, also available in French and English, which comprises ten soft skills.
From the definitions of Nos compétences fortes (ICEA), we developed specific definitions for the workplace. We also adapted these definitions into the specific contents of ESAT.
Nos compétences fortes
The Institut de coopération pour l’éducation des adultes (ICÉA) developed a set of 22 soft skills and a group facilitation process in order to encourage adults to recognize the skills they have developed throughout their life experiences.
Through this approach, ICÉA asserts that informal generic skills play a role in everyone’s participation in civic life. Nos compétences fortes (or “NCF”) workshops allow each participant to identify their strengths; The approach calls on discussions and consultations. This enables people with little or no use of writing to participate.
The 22 skills framework was developed on the basis of extensive research and has been tested with a wide variety of contexts and audiences. Nos compétences fortes can be used by people with a view to returning to employement, or for staff or community building.
