Have you ever gone into an interview and some asked: were you proficient on your 8th grade Algebra PSSA? Has any employer ever asked you about your SAT score? Proficiency on standardized tests does have value, however only in certain contexts. The skills employers desire are not measured on a standardized test. At the Lawrence County Career and Technical Center, the instruction that our students get is a means to and end. It is our hope that the lessons the students receive go beyond math, English, science, or the trades. We believe the development of the most desired skills employers demand will assist students on their journey.
Communication might be the most essential of all skills. Prospective employees need to be able to speak and write effectively. Part of communication is listening. The ability to observe an environment and communicate effectively with a variety of people, including work clients and other team members is vital to success.
Employees must be able to work with other co-workers as part of a larger team. In 2021, the collaborative efforts might be in the same physical environment or a virtual environment. The ability to be an effective contributor to the team benefits the employee and the company. The world of work does not tell its employees to stay seated, quiet, and busy. Neither should their educational experience. It is our hope that the students learn to work with one another and a few learn how to lead each other.
Do you have what it takes to solve the problem or know how to search for a solution? Problem solving and critical thinking are invaluable to an employer and they will pay someone who can demonstrate those skills. Showing your employer that you have what it takes to deal with a variety of different problems is a great way of ensuring you will be able to deal with anything your job throws at you on your own. Problems will always arise whatever industry you get into, but being able to deal with problems quickly and in a sensible manner ensures that you will be a great asset to any company.
Organization skills ensure you are able to deal with your work. Can you triage? Can you prioritize? If you can demonstrate the ability to stay organized, prioritize, and finish, an employer will gain trust and confidence in that employee.
Successful employees need to handle pressure. All too often in today’s society we associate pressure and accountability with negative connotations. The opposite is true. Pressure and accountability create results. There are many circumstances where an effective employee may be dealing with anxiety or stress. It is not an option to declare defeat. Instead, deal with the pressure, stress, anxiety and accomplish great things. If it was easy to accomplish difficult tasks under pressure, then it would not be an exceptional skill but rather an ordinary trait of all employees. Remember when you are under pressure excuses are not reasons.
It is too easy to quit. Many employers are looking for employees with perseverance. Are you the person who will be loyal, hang in there, and succeed. Or are you the type of person who when the going gets tough you are the first in line to leave for your safe space? Employers want and need people who are able to show this level of commitment.
An effective school utilizes English, math, science, or vocational programs as a tool to produce a productive member of society. Our students will not be productive if they cannot take what they have learned and apply it in new and different ways. Beyond a score on any one test, what is unique about you that makes a company say, we are better off with you than without you.
