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Skills What are they and how do I get them?

If you are a living, breathing human being you have a lot of skills already. Sometimes we take our skills for granted.

An older worker, Mrs. Lee, said that she could not be part of the purchasing team in her department. She said she was too old to learn new skills. Her supervisor reminded her that she had bought a house and helped three children through university after feeding and clothing them for eighteen years. She asked the older worker if she had searched out the best value for the money? She asked her about the steps taken to buy her house. Did she have to negotiate price? Did she have to sign contracts? Mrs. Lee realized she had lots of the necessary skills. She just needed to transfer her knowledge and skills to a new context: her work instead of her home.

The skills she identified are transferable skills. Mrs. Lee can use the same skills in a variety of ways. What skills can you identify from the story above? Can you put a name on them? Are they skills that you have?

What kinds of skills do you think are needed in the workplace in Canada? Brainstorm with a colleague or in a larger group the kinds of skills you have had to use in past jobs as well as skills you think you will need in today's changing workplaces.

Try to organize and prioritize your ideas. Can you group certain skills together under one heading? (e.g., math) Are there some skills more important than others?