Employability skills
Units 1 to 4 of the VCE Systems Engineering study provides students with the opportunity to engage in a range of learning activities. In addition to demonstrating their understanding and mastery of the content and skills specific to the study, students may also develop employability skills through their learning activities.
The nationally agreed employability skills* are: Communication; Planning and organising; Teamwork; Problem solving; Self-management; Initiative and enterprise; Technology; and Learning.
Each employability skill contains a number of facets that have a broad coverage of all employment contexts and are designed to describe all employees. The table links those facets that may be understood and applied in a school or non-employment related setting, to the types of assessment commonly undertaken within the VCE study.
| Assessment task | Employability skills selected facets |
|---|
|
Implementation of an interactive web page |
Communication (reading independently; using numeracy)
Technology (being willing to learn new IT and practical skills)
Learning (managing own learning; having enthusiasm for ongoing learning; being open to new ideas and techniques; acknowledging the need to learn in order to accommodate change)
|
|
Record of investigation, design, planning and production |
Communication (reading independently; using numeracy)
Problem solving (developing practical creative, innovative solutions; showing independence and initiative in identifying problems and solving them; applying a range of strategies to problem solving)
Planning and organising (establishing clear project goals and deliverables; planning the use of resources including time management; collecting, analysing and organising information)
Technology (having a range of basic IT skills) |
|
Multimedia presentation |
Communication (speaking clearly and directly; persuading effectively, sharing information; listening and understanding)
Technology (having a range of basic IT skills; being willing to learn new IT skills; using IT to organise data)
|
|
Folio or eFolio |
Communication (reading independently; using numeracy)
Problem solving (showing independence and initiative in identifying problems and solving them)
Self management (articulating own ideas and visions)
Technology (showing independence and initiative in identifying problems and solving them) |
|
Brochure |
Communication (writing to the needs of the audience; sharing information; listening and understanding; reading independently)
Technology (having a range of basic IT skills; using IT to organise data) |
|
Poster |
Communication (writing to the needs of the audience; sharing information; listening and understanding; reading independently)
Technology (having a range of basic IT skills; being willing to learn new IT skills; using IT to organise data) |
|
Written report |
Communication (writing to the needs of the audience; persuading effecitvely; reading independently)
|
|
A report in multimedia format |
Communication (writing to the needs of the audience; persuading effectively; sharing information; listening and reading independently)
Technology (having a range of basic IT skills; being willing to learn new IT skills; using IT to organise data) |
Production work accompanied by a
record of progress
and modifications |
Technology (having the OHS knowledge to apply technology; being willing to learn new IT and practical skills)
Learning (managing own learning; having enthusiasm for ongoing learning; being open to new ideas and techniques; acknowledging the need to learn in order to accommodate change)
Problem solving (showing independence and initiative in identifying problems and solving them)
Planning and organising (managing time and priorities – setting time lines; coordinating tasks for self and with others; establishing clear project goals and deliverables; planning the use of resources including time management)
Initiative and enterprise (adapting to new situations; being creative; identifying opportunities not obvious to others; generating a range of options; initiating innovative solutions)
Team work (working as an individual and as a member of a team)
Pracdtical demonstration communication (speaking clearly and directly; persuading effectively; sharing information; listening and understanding)
Test problem solving (showing independence and initiative in identifying problems and solving them) |
|
Oral presentation (supported by visual presentation) |
Communication (speaking clearly and directly; persuading effectively; sharing information; listening and understanding; reading independently)
Technology (having a range of basic IT skills; being willing to learn new IT skills; using IT to organise data) |
|
Case study |
Communication (writing to the needs of the audience; reading
independently; listening and understanding)
Technology (having a range of basic IT skills; being willing to learn new IT skills; using IT to organise data) |
|
A report of diagnostic testing and performance data |
Communication (writing to the needs of the audience; reading independently)
Learning (managing own learning; having enthusiasm for ongoing learning; being open to new ideas and techniques; acknowledging the need to learn in order to accommodate change)
Technology (having a range of basic IT skills; being willing to learn new IT skills; using IT to organise data; having the OHS knowledge to apply technology) |
|
Evaluation report |
Communication (writing to the needs of the audience; reading
independently)
Technology (having a range of basic IT skills; being willing to learn new IT skills; using IT to organise data) |
|
Media analysis |
Communication (writing to the needs of the audience; reading
independently)
|
*The employability skills are derived from the Employability Skills Framework (Employability Skills for the Future, 2002), developed by the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Business Council of Australia, and published by the (former) Commonwealth Department of Education, Science and Training.