June 1st 2011
 

Beyond the Service Bay:

Why job-specific skills and training aren’t enough

We’ve all seen them. An employee who’s a wizard with tools, who can identify and fix a problem as well as anyone but who has difficulty working with others or communicating clearly. Those non-technical—but vital—abilities are known as essential skills, the skills that everyone needs in every job.

Employees who don’t have enough of these skills are harder to train and aren’t as productive. For example, someone who has difficulty using computers could take longer learning to use new equipment. A technician who struggles with math can have trouble reading gauges or using tools like calipers and micrometers—even after they’ve been trained. That’s why it makes good business sense to include essential-skills assessment and upgrading into the training mix.

Of course, as with repairing cars, before you can fix a problem, you need to diagnose it.

CARSessentials can help. It’s a free, online tool that enables users to assess their ability for each of the nine essential skills. “By being able to measure these skills quickly and easily, business owners, supervisors and trainers can identify where they need to integrate essential-skills upgrading into an employee’s training plan,” says Ed Nasello, the project manager in charge of the CARS Council’s Essential Skills program. “Most employers have to budget their training dollars carefully, so it makes sense to ensure employees have the skills to take full advantage of that training.”

Paul Barber of Mississauga, a trainer for Certigard, says CARSessentials is especially useful as a hiring tool. “The job of a technician has become much more technical and complex, so these skills really are a necessity. Knowing that a job applicant has good essential skills helps us to be more confident that they will be a good fit for the position.”

But what if an employee’s assessment shows there are skills gaps? CARSessentials is more than an assessment tool, says Nasello. “After they take the test, users are given suggestions on the type of training they need—and where to find it. Armed with that information, they can put together a training plan to address those gaps—either on their own, or with the support of their employer.”

“Whether we’re looking at the bottom line of an individual business, or the economy as a whole,” said Mr. Nasello, “essential skills provide the foundation for improving productivity and ensuring we have the skilled workers we need to get the job done.”