AN OVERVIEW OF THE GENERIC/EMPLOYABILITY SKILLS INITIATIVE AT HUMBER COLLEGE

What are the Generic/Employability Skills? Generic/ Employability Skills are transferable skills that provide the foundation for a students academic, vocational and personal success. Humbers Generic/Employability skills include communications, personal, interpersonal, thinking, mathematics, and computer skills. Background to the Generic Skills Initiative In 1995, Ontarios College Standards and Accreditation Council (CSAC) published a report outlining Generic Skills Learning Outcomes required for two and three year college programs. In 1996, Humber president Dr. Robert Gordon struck a Task Force on Generic/Employability Skills for the college. This Task Force, with college-wide representation, produced a report that identified the six Generic/Employability Skills and their related subsets. Since 1999, an implementation Team has worked with college programs to ensure that Humbers graduates are meeting the established learning outcomes of the Generic/Employability Skills. Over the last four years, the Project Leaders on the Implementation Team have developed learning outcomes and instructional objectives for the Generic Skills. These outcomes identify the minimum standards that all students must meet before they graduate. However, some programs require that students exceed the minimum outcomes (e.g. Math in Business programs, Problem Solving in Health Sciences). Implementation of the Generic Skills Outcomes As of June 2003, all post secondary two-and three-year programs will teach, reinforce and evaluate the Generic Skills and the related subsets. These skills will be included on course outlines as learning outcomes. In addition, each program will track the skills on a course and/or program basis. Resources and General Information The Project Leaders have compiled resource manuals for each of the Generic Skills. These manuals state the learning outcomes and the instructional objectives for each skill. They also offer examples of appropriate evaluation techniques and examples of best practices for teaching and/or evaluating the skills. This information is valuable for programs with gaps in Generic/Employability Skills instruction and for new programs incorporating Generic Skills into the curriculum. This CD contains a copy of the seven resource manuals. (The Communications Skills are discussed in two manuals: 1A: Communication Skills and 1B: Writing Across the Curriculum.) Individual course tracking sheets and program-wide tracking sheets are available so that programs can identify where the skills are taught, evaluated and reinforced and where there are gaps. The tracking sheets will also be used during the colleges program review process to ensure the inclusion of the skills within programs. The tracking forms are available on the Generic Skills website. (See address on the next page.) . continued

Revised templates have been developed for all college course outlines, with the Generic/Employability Skills learning outcomes listed in a separate section. College-wide exit assessment or approved program tests and assignments will ensure that students have achieved minimum outcomes for all Generic Skills. The skills may also be assessed by a panel of industry advisors and/or by placement supervisors. Suggestions for tracking of the skills include a student portfolio of vocational and Generic/Employability Skills examples and/or products and an evaluation for Generic Skills on the students transcript. Professional Development is available to assist faculty with the knowledge and/or skills required to teach and assess Generic/Employability Skills. Contact Pro Dev for details. There are several implementation models. Although most Generic Skills are integrated into program course content, they may also be taught in a separate course, in a workshop, during a course retreat, etc.

Are Resource Materials Readily Available? This CD contains copies of the resource manuals. Print versions of the manuals are available in each school, in the Pro Dev office, and in the college libraries. The manuals as well as the other Generic Skills materials are also available at the Generic Skills website: http://genericskills.humberc.on.ca/ Who Are the Generic Skills Contacts? Contact your program coordinator or call the Professional Development office at ext. 5040 for information about Generic Skills at Humber.