Last week the Canadian government launched Skills for Success, a new model of the skills needed to participate and thrive in learning, work and life. It includes skills that are foundational for building other skills and knowledge and important for effective social interaction.

The Skills for Success  model is designed to respond to the needs of the current and future labour market. It succeeds the Essential Skills framework.

What are the Skills for Success?

There are 9 Skills for Success:

• Adaptability
• Collaboration
• Communication
• Creativity and innovation
• Digital
• Numeracy
• Problem solving
• Reading
• Writing

Each skill has a definition, a list of components and proficiency levels. The components can help organizations create training programs. The proficiency levels can support the development of assessment tools.

The skills overlap and interact. They are inclusive, transferable and adaptable. They can be measured and they can be learned.

What’s New?

• Adaptability (which integrates Continuous Learning) and Creativity and innovation are two new skills.
• Reading, Writing, and Numeracy have been updated and now incorporate Document Use.
• Digital broadens the scope of Computer Use to include different digital devices and platforms.
• Communication includes more than Oral Communication, such as non-verbal communication.
• Collaboration replaces Working with Others and contains inclusivity and respect for diversity.

For a deeper understanding of the research behind this model, read SRDC’s Research report to support the launch of Skills for Success: Structure, evidence, and recommendations: Final report.

Assessment and Training Tools

The Office of Skills for Success (OSS) maintains a database of assessment and training tools. The tools are from the Government of Canada and outside organizations.

Looking for other resources to develop workplace literacy, reading, numeracy, writing, and communication skills? The Decoda Library has resources that can help. Contact library@decoda.ca for help finding print and online resources.