Overview
Essential Skills vs.
Technical Skills:
Definitions
There are nine essential skills (reading, document use,
numeracy, writing, oral communications, thinking, digital
technology, working with others, continuous learning), TOWES
assesses reading, document use and numeracy skills, which are often
referred to as literacy skills:
Reading
Reading refers to reading material in the form of sentences or
paragraphs. It generally involves reading notes, letters, memos,
manuals, specifications, regulations, books, reports or journals.
Reading includes:
- forms and labels (if they contain at least one paragraph)
- print and non-print media (for example, text on computer
screens)
- paragraph-length text in charts, tables and graphs
Document Use
Document Use refers to how a person understands and interprets
visual displays of information-specifically information in which
words, numbers, icons and other visual characteristics (e.g. line,
colour, shape) are given meaning by their spatial arrangement. It
generally involves interpreting or reading graphs, lists, tables,
blueprints, schematics, drawings, signs and labels. Document Use
includes:
- print and non-print media (for example, equipment gauges,
clocks and flags)
- reading/interpreting and writing/completing/producing of
documents
Note: These two uses of documents often occur simultaneously as
part of the same task. For example, completing a form or
creating a spreadsheet.
Numeracy
Numeracy refers to a workers' ability to use numbers and to
think in quantitative terms. Numeracy includes:
- Numerical estimating
- Money math
- Scheduling or budgeting
- Analyzing measurements or data
For definitions of the other essential skills, click here.