In today’s job market, technical skills alone aren’t enough to ensure success—employability skills are just as essential. In a previous article, we discussed the importance of employability skills in career and technical education (CTE) programs. Imagine a retail baker: not only must they master the art of crafting breads and pastries, but they also need to navigate time management, prioritize tasks, and work with industrial equipment safely. They must also manage their time, break down assignments into tasks, collaborate, and work seamlessly as a team. The stronger these skills, the better prepared they are to thrive and grow in their careers. In the CTE classroom, teaching these employability skills alongside technical expertise can set students on the path to long-term success in any workplace.
Identify Critical Employability Skills
One of the first steps to effectively teaching employability skills is to determine which skills students need most. The federal Office of Career Technical and Adult Education (OCTAE) created an Employability Skills Framework that organizes these essential skills into three main categories.
- Applied Knowledge
- Applied academic skills: reading, writing, math, and science
- Critical thinking skills: creative thinking, problem solving, and planning
- Effective Relationships
- Interpersonal skills: teamwork, leadership, and conflict resolution
- Personal qualities: responsibility, flexibility, and professionalism
- Workplace Skills
- Resource management: manage time, money, and personnel
- Information Use: find, organize, use, and analyze information
- Communication skills: verbal, written, and listening skills
- Systems thinking: understand, monitor, and improve systems
- Technology use: understand and use technology appropriately
Using the framework as a starting point, work with your Occupational Advisory Committee (OAC) to identify the key employability skills essential for workplace success. How often do employees need to collaborate with co-workers or manage resources? What types of technology are part of their daily routine? Engaging with local industry professionals can also provide insight into the non-technical skills they use on the job. Using this information, create a prioritized list of employability to focus on over the course of the program
Incorporate Skills Into Classroom Activities
A powerful way to teach employability skills is by embedding them with career-focused activities. In a CTE classroom, lesson plans, units, and projects should all incorporate opportunities for students to learn and practice targeted skills.
Some skills, like critical thinking, naturally fit into normal classroom activities such as group work and open-ended tasks. Other skills may require practice in a simulated environment, such as drafting work-related emails or managing company resources.
Teachers can encourage students to develop employability skills by:
- Requiring professional behavior in the classroom, lab, and workshop
- Providing opportunities for students to complete an inventory of their skills and attitudes early in the semester and repeating the measure at the end of the course
- Modeling effective interpersonal skills in interactions with students and peers
- Using case studies to explore the impact of ethical behaviors and attitudes
- Inviting industry professionals or OAC members to share expectations and tips for improving their competitive advantage when applying for jobs
- Running a class like a “business” with students acting as employees who collaborate with their coworkers, communicate with supervisors, and complete projects in a professional manner.
Validate Employability Skills with NOCTI
NOCTI understands the critical role employability skills play in workplace readiness and has developed industry-recognized credentials focused on these essential skills. The Employability assessments include a written component and are suitable for both secondary and postsecondary students.
Like all NOCTI credentials, the Employability assessments were developed with a panel of subject matter experts and industry professionals to ensure they are relevant and accurately measure critical skills. Blueprints that list key competencies for each assessment are available in our Blueprint Index here. Please contact our team if you have questions.
Prepare Students for Successful Careers
A core focus of CTE instruction is to prepare students for their chosen careers, making employability skills an essential and natural fit for CTE programs. Over our 50+ year history, NOCTI has developed industry-recognized credentials and resources to support educators in delivering high-quality instruction that equips students with skills needed to succeed in their chosen fields.
Our latest guide, “The Secret Recipe of Rockstar Teachers,” has three researched-backed strategies designed for CTE teachers. The guide includes how to gamify student progress to encourage engagement, strategies for targeting key vocabulary, and tips for deciphering data to improve instruction. You can download the guide for free here.
The NOCTI website offers additional resources, such as credential Blueprints, CTE-related blogs, on-demand webinars, and books for CTE teachers and administrators. Let us know if you have questions about our resources or services.