SCANS Workplace Skills Your Children Will Need

SCANS Workplace Skills Yur Children Will NeedSCANS Workplace Skills Your Children Will NeedWe all want our children to be successful in life. We hope to one day see them in satisfying careers with the promise of growth. The thought of our children ending up in dead-end jobs saddens us. We wonder, though, if theres anything we can do to help ensure their success. In 1990, then Secretary of Labor Lynn Martin wondered the same thing and formed the Secretarys Commission on Achieving Necessary Skills, commonly referred to as SCANS. It was comprised of representatives from schools, government, labor unions, and corporate America.Martin charged the Commission with the task of examining the demands of the workplace and determining whether American youth are capable of meeting those demands. By 1992, SCANS had completed its work. After talking to employers, supervisors, workers, and union officials, the Commission identified a set of five competencies and three foundation skills that everyone entering the workforce must have. Together these competencies and skills became known as SCANS skills. SCANS Skills These are the eight areas the Commission identified as being essential for both students who are going directly to work after high school and those who will attend college before entering the workforce. The five competencies and three foundation skills are intertwined- they are used together and should be learned together. Although this list was developed a while ago, it is still relevant for todays and tomorrows workforce. The Five Competencies In order to be effective, those who are in the workforce must be able to effectively use resources, interpersonal skills, information, systems, and technology. Lets take a look at each of these competencies mora closely Resources The ability to allocate resources is essential. Resources include TimeMoneyMaterial and facility resourcesHuman resources Interpersonal To succeed at work one must be able to interact with ot her people. By the time an individual enters the workforce he or she should be able to Participate as a member of a teamTeach othersServe clients or customersExercise leadershipNegotiateWork with people from diverse backgrounds Information Information is a valuable commodity. One must know how to Acquire and evaluate informationOrganize and maintain informationInterpret and communicate informationUse computers to process information Systems A system is a group of components- technological, organizational and social- that must interact in order to function properly. Successful workers must Understand systemsBe able to monitor and correct the performance of a systems componentsBe able to improve and design systems Technology Technology refers to the equipment, procedures, and tools one uses to perform certain workplace tasks. They vary by occupation. One must have the knowledge to Select technologyApply the appropriate technology to a taskMaintain and troubleshoot technology The Th ree Foundation Skills In addition to the competencies described above, everyone must enter the workforce having mastered the following foundation skills Basic Skills ReadingWritingMathematical computation and mathematical reasoningListeningSpeaking Thinking Skills Creative thinkingDecision makingProblem-solvingThe ability to see things in the minds eyeKnowing how to learnReasoning Personal Qualities Individual responsibilitySelf-esteemSociabilitySelf-managementIntegrity So now, instead of wondering whether your child will be successful, you can make sure she has the necessary skills. Find out if your childs school is incorporating SCANS skills into its curriculum and if they arent, its time to start asking questions. You should also reinforce the SCANS skills at home.