Session

The Manitoba Institute of Trades and technology (MITT) has been researching employability/soft skill frameworks internationally in-depth since 2014 and using/testing the Employability Skills Assessment Tool (ESAT) since 2015. MITT’s interest in these skills is reflective of a close association with industry and their continued statement of workforce skill needs. MITT’s Success@Work Skills are communication, collaboration, problem solving, adaptability, initiative and professionalism (bundling of responsibility, timeliness, stress management, appearance and perseverance). The typical dialogue heard around a number of these skills is that they cannot be taught and they certainly cannot be tested. However, accredited education in Canada continues to claim that their students graduate possessing these skills. Deeper analysis reveals that some instruction and assessment does occur particularly around communication. Some of the other skills are given the ‘10% participation’ mark which may/may not be done with a rubric. MITT also delivers Success@Work Skills within specific and direct industry training for the existing workforce.MITT’s journey since 2014 has been to identify clearly each skill, reflect industry currency, develop competency frameworks which detail performance and learning outcomes, create responsive curricula in modular units and to use various alternative assessment models. This presentation will describe briefly the journey to date, rationale for and pilot of ESAT as alternative in various contexts, SSHRC interim results on ESAT use, demographic considerations and an attendee discussion of barriers/challenges and innovations to implementation in various contexts.