Activity 5.1.4 Researching Job Skills

Purpose

To become familiar with job descriptions that use Essential Skills vocabulary and the Ontario Skills Passport website

Materials

Handout–Researching Job Skills Chart Computer with Internet access and printer, highlighters

Time

2–3 hrs

Method

1. Ask participants to write down job titles or occupations that interest them.
2. Using the Internet, instruct participants to go to the website: http://skills.edu.gov.on.ca/OSPWeb/jsp/en/login.jsp (Ontario Skills Passport) to search for the Essential Skills listed for a particular job title or occupation. (Facilitators should familiarize themselves first with the website in order to help participants navigate it.)
3. Scroll down and tell participants to click on the blue diamond icon that says “Create a Work Plan” and follow the instructions. Once completed, have participants print out the complete work plan for that job.
4. Participants can then highlight the tasks that are familiar to them. Facilitators should ensure that participants focus only on the general idea of the each task, e.g., read labels and not the specific context, e.g., read labels on food products.
5. Participants will then transfer the highlighted information onto the Researching Job Skills Chart (see handout). Highlighted tasks will be recorded under the column “Tasks I am familiar with”. Any tasks not highlighted will be entered under the “Tasks not familiar to me” column.
6. Discuss their findings:
   • Was the site helpful and easy to use?
   • Did it complicate or confirm opinions about the skills they need for a particular job?
   • Was the information easily understood?
   • Did they notice if there was one skill that is used most often for different occupations?
7. Tell participants to keep this chart as a record for learning unfamiliar tasks and getting closer to their ideal job. When they have completed steps to learn an unfamiliar task they should put a checkmark beside it to show that it has been accomplished.