The Key Skills Support Programme Cymru, created by Dysg, is currently leading the campaign to provide guidelines for education and training providers to effectively develop and assess Key skills amongst learners.
The six Key Skills relate closely to the generic skills identified in the FSW survey. They include communication, the application of number, information technology, working with others, improving own learning and performance and problem solving.
Of the 18 different skills that the FSW 2003 survey identified as needing more development in the Welsh workforce every one can be linked to an equivalent Key Skill.
For instance ‘Adaptability or Flexibility’ identified by the survey is covered by all key skills to some degree. A key skills level 2 qualification in Communication asks for candidates to show how they can adjust their style of writing for a specific task – an activity that reveals their adaptability.
‘Leadership or Motivational skills’ on the other hand shares many elements with the ‘Working with others’ key skill, which includes understanding what it means to work effectively with others and group dynamics. Leadership skills would also require good ‘communication’ skills and good ‘problem solving’ skills - most appropriately at level 3 or 4.
This close correlation with between FSW 2003 and The Key Skills Support Programme Cymru gives individual Key Skills Co-ordinators extra evidence to support their call for more focus on key skills in schools and colleges across Wales.
During all-Wales school and college network meetings Key Skills Schools and College FE Co-ordinators Network are attending FSW workshops that have been designed to make sure everyone knows not only where to get the latest facts and figures, but also how to decipher and use this information to deliver a skilled workforce for Wales.
These workshops will also outline the importance of key skills to different occupational groups and different sectors allowing teachers and lecturers to highlight such subtleties to their students.
Dr Cheryl Morgan manages the Key Skills Support Programme Cymru, founded in December 2000 by the Welsh Assembly Government, which was created to provide support and guidance for implementing effective key skills programmes.
Dr Morgan said: “We are linking our Key Skills programme closely to the Generic Skills issues raised through FSW 2003. The survey findings give credence to our initiative to raise the profile of Key Skills in the national curriculum.
“Future Skills Wales has enabled us to make the case for key skills more effectively by showing that industry needs the Welsh workforce to have these skills in order to operate effectively,” she added.
“The survey reveals that a variety of different skills are vital to certain industry sectors across Wales. The task in hand for individual Key Skills Co-ordinators is to match key skills development in schools and colleges with the generic skills needs of local industry and communities.”
