12.3 – Develop Learning and Job Readiness Skills

Purpose & Context

Career Development Professionals (CDPs) help clients prepare for seeking employment by identifying which skills are required and helping them improve on these to aid their job search.

Effective Performance

Competent career development professionals must be able to:

P1. Identify job readiness needs, for example:
- Conducting a job search, e.g. identify advertised jobs, build professional network, contact employers directly
- Preparing a résumé, e.g. select format (chronological, functional, competency-based), tailor résumé to jobrequirements, seek feedback on draft
- Completing job applications
- Writing cover letters
- Preparing for interviews, e.g. understand job, research organization, identify past experiences demonstratingjob requirements, practice interviewing, choose attire, know location of interview, plan travel
- Understanding workplace expectations, e.g. work hours, dress code, travel requirements, rights andresponsibilities of employees and employers, Canadian workplace culture
- Acquiring life skills, e.g. basic self-care, dealing with stress, self-esteem, substance abuse prevention,
  health and nutrition, wellness
- Participating in job skills training directly related to employment, e.g. use of digital technology, project
  management, communication, collaboration, innovation and creativity, self-awareness
- Maintaining a job, e.g. arrive on time, follow directions, confirm understanding, ask questions when in doubt,
  manage conflict, solve problems, commit to learning new tasks, help other team members meet deadlines
P2. Develop strategy to meet needs, e.g. job coaching, workshops, individual assignments, collaboration with other
service providers to access resources
P3. Implement strategy, e.g. deliver training session on how to complete a job application, how to prepare for an
interview
P4. Develop action plan with the client
P5. Monitor progress
P6. Document interaction

Knowledge & Understanding

Competent career development professionals must know and understand:

K1. Job search strategies
K2. Like skills training resources
K3. Resources to support client goals, e.g. industry-specific job banks

Contextual Variables

Competent career development professionals must be able to perform this competency in the following range of contexts:

Diverse client populations will likely present with a varying complexity of job readiness needs.

Depending on client needs, support in accessing unadvertised roles may be required.

Individual client’s preferred occupation may require additional support, e.g. relocation.

Glossary & Key References

Terms

Industry-specific terms contained in the standard defined here, where applicable.

Life skills training: programs addressing social, psychological and attitudinal factors to enhance basic life skills such as self-care, accommodation, public transportation, healthy coping strategies, mental wellness, substance abuse/sexual violence prevention. Programs can be tailored to the needs of targeted groups, e.g. newly arrived refugees, youth, school age children, temporary foreign workers, international students.

Information Sources and Resources for Consideration

The Canadian Life Skills Program. https://www.peianc.com/en/canadian-life-skills-program Accessed January 6th, 2020

Context Rating Scales

Criticality

Q: What is the consequence of a professional being unable to perform this skill according to the standard?

Moderate risk: CRITICAL

Frequency

Q: How frequent and under what conditions is this skill performed?

Routinely, regular course of procedure

Level of Difficulty

Q: Under routine circumstances, how would you rate the level of difficulty in performing this skill?

Moderate difficulty or complexity

Time Required to Gain Proficiency

Q: What is the average length of time or number of repeated events that are minimally necessary for an individual to become proficient in performing the skill to the standard?

A competent career development professional requires a minimum of one year of experience with at least 40 different clients, representing a broad range of individuals.

Autonomy

Practitioners typically perform this competency without supervision, and alone.

Automation

It is unlikely that this competency will automate.

Requisite Work Aids, Tools, Equipment or Materials

None