Wednesday, 23 October 2013

Employability Skills: Part 1

In the first of a two part blog I would like to look at one of the hot topics that has been bouncing around in education, training, & recruitment, that of Employability Skills. Employability skills can be defined as the transferable skills needed by an individual to make them ‘employable’. Along with good technical understanding and subject knowledge, employers often outline a set of skills that they want from an employee.




These skills are what they believe will equip the employee to carry out their role to the best of their ability. Employability depends on your knowledge, skills and attitudes, how you use those assets, and how you present them to employers. This is important for everyone who may be just starting out on their career such as apprentices through to people looking for a career change.




The list below has been compiled by a range of UK-based companies and it lists the Top 10 Employability Skills which they look for in potential employees. Companies were asked to define exactly what these skills mean, and how you could show evidence of these skills in an interview or application for a job. For The Apprentice Academy who deliver interview training to equip Social Media & Business Apprentices with the skills they need for an interview, it is vital they are aware of these.

Below is more detail about what these employability skills actually are. In my next blog I will focus on what they actually mean to young people starting out on their career & how they can use them effectively as part on a first interview for a modern apprenticeship

1 Communication and interpersonal skills: The ability to explain what you mean in
a clear and concise way through written and spoken means. To listen and relate
to other people, and to act upon key information / instructions.

2 Problem solving skills: The ability to understand a problem by breaking it down into smaller parts, and identifying the key issues, implications and identifying solutions. To apply your knowledge from many different areas to solving a task.

3 Using your initiative and being self-motivated: Having new ideas of your own which can be made into a reality. Showing a strong personal drive and not waiting to be told to do things.

4 Working under pressure and to deadlines: Handling stress that comes with deadlines and ensuring that you meet them.

5 Organisational skills: Being organised and methodical. Able to plan work to meet deadlines and targets. Monitoring progress of work to ensure you are on track to meeting a deadline.

6 Team working: Working well with other people from different disciplines, backgrounds, and
expertise to accomplish a task or goal.

7 Ability to learn and adapt: To be enthusiastic about your work, and to identify ways to learn from your mistakes for the benefit of both you and your employer.

8 Numeracy: The ability to use data and mathematics to support evidence or demonstrate a point.

9 Valuing diversity and difference: Knowing the value of diversity and what it can bring. Understanding and being considerate of the different needs of different individuals.


10 Negotiation skills: To take on board other people’s feelings and express your own requirements in an unemotional clear fashion to achieve a win-win outcome.

Contributing companies to the survey include Astra Zeneca who have a number of apprentices working for them and recruited by the Apprentice Academy - 0161 200 1673

Part two to follow soon

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