Essential life skills such as problem solving, communicating effectively and collaborating well with others help people succeed and continuously grow in a rapidly changing world. Here are several skills frameworks that career development professionals can use to support clients in assessing their skills and finding ways to improve.
National frameworks
Skills for Success Framework
The Skills for Success Framework (SFS), launched in May 2021, is an update to Canada’s Essential Skills Framework (ESF) and features nine skills. It incorporates the impact of automation on the labour market as well as the social-emotional skills identified as vital by Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC). The SFS framework is particularly useful in helping clients or students understand, evaluate and categorize their previous experience. SFS assessment and training tools include resources for writing, reading, numeracy, trades, digital skills and knowledge-sharing for individuals and organizations working in literacy and essential skills for Indigenous Peoples. A Government of Canada-funded project created a Professional Development Framework for Skills for Success Practitioners.
Employability Skills Assessment Tool (Futureworx)
This tool offers a framework and assessment methodology that focuses on social-emotional skills including collaboration, motivation, creativity, attitude, accountability, time management, stress management, presentation, adaptability, communication and confidence.
National Occupational Classification (NOC) Skills and Competencies Taxonomy
This resource aims to streamline terminology across competency domains and concepts, such as establishing definitions for competencies, skills, and personal abilities and attributes. It can be used complementary to the Skills for Success model.
Occupational and Skills Information System (OaSIS)
The Government of Canada’s Occupational and Skills Information System (OaSIS) provides a comprehensive framework of the skills, abilities, personal attributes, knowledge, and interests that are usually required to work in over 900 different Canadian occupations. It also provides context for the work environment in which these occupations are performed.
University of Waterloo’s Future Ready Talent Framework
This framework provides a structure that students, educators and employers can use to understand and improve on key competencies expected to be in demand in the global workplace. The FRTF’s 12 competencies were developed through research into existing frameworks, studies, reports and findings from employers, students and educators.
Frameworks outside of Canada
Career Readiness Competencies (National Association of Colleges and Employers)
This American framework from NACE provides a straightforward structure that students and educators can use to categorize or evaluate curricular and extracurricular activities while addressing career-related goals. It outlines eight career-readiness competencies.
SCANS Competencies and Foundation Skills (CASAS)
Comprehensive Adult Student Assessment Systems (CASAS) in the United States created a resource that covers a range of transferable skills from social-emotional, to critical thinking, to communication.
UNESCO Transversal Competencies
This framework offers six categories: critical and innovative thinking, interpersonal skills, intrapersonal skills, global citizenship, media and information literacy and others (i.e. problem solving, communication teamwork and leadership).
Big Five Model (OECD)
This model offers a balanced consideration of social and emotional skills. It covers related social and emotional skills under task performance, emotional regulation, collaboration, open-mindedness and engaging with others.
Additional reading
- Analysis of Framework Supporting New Skills for Success Program (Ryerson University)
- Comparing essential skills frameworks as a tool for career development (CareerWise)
- Create Value for Clients with a Skills Inventory (Career Professionals of Canada)
- Essential Skills Achievement Pathway (ESAP) Program (New Brunswick)
- Exploring the creation of a Canadian ‘soft’ skills framework (CareerWise)
- First Nations, Inuit and Métis Essential Skills Inventory Project (Canadian Career Development Foundation)
- Future-proofing Canada’s workforce using Skills for Success (CareerWise)
- Guided Pathways: Integrating essential skills into careers work (CareerWise)
- Guided Pathways Project Information [Training]
- Skills Next series: Canadians’ needs for skills training and education are changing quickly (Ryerson University)
- Using the Skills for Success to help jobseekers adapt to change (CareerWise)
- What you need to know about Canada’s new Skills for Success framework (CareerWise)
- Why the ‘new’ Skills for Success matter (CareerWise)
