Skill components and proficiency levels

Adaptability components

A series of components make up the adaptability skill. These components can help organizations to create training programs and assessments. The components of adaptability are not necessarily sequential.

• Adaptability: Demonstrate responsibility

  • Focus your attention on the current task
  • Minimize distractions
  • Manage your time to demonstrate your understanding of limited resources, for example:
    • punctuality
    • not wasting time
  • Fulfill assigned tasks to demonstrate dependability
• Adaptability: Persist and persevere

  • Anticipate changes
  • Reflect and evaluate what changes have happened and what is coming
  • Identify when to keep trying and when to adapt your approach and mindset
  • If appropriate, keep trying when something does not go according to plans
  • If appropriate, modify your plans and approaches to reflect changing circumstances
• Adaptability: Regulate your emotions when appropriate

  • Be positive and optimistic
  • Stay calm when you are facing setbacks
  • Recover when you are not able to stay calm
  • Encourage others to stay calm
• Adaptability: Set or adjust your goals and expectations

  • Set goals and expectations based on your skill sets, available resources and supports
  • Define expectations and standards for reaching goals
• Adaptability: Plan and prioritize

  • Define tasks, milestones, and longer-term strategies to achieve goals
  • Prioritize and choose an order of tasks according to your circumstances
• Adaptability: Seek self-improvement

  • Reflect on your own skill sets and resources
  • Find opportunities for improving yourself
  • Learn from setbacks and mistakes

Adaptability proficiency levels

Proficiency levels are the level at which a person demonstrates a particular skill. These levels support organizations to:

• build tools to assess people’s skills
• help individuals understand their skill levels

Organizations can adapt the content as needed. The SFS Program will refine the proficiency levels over time.

• Adaptability: Entry level

  You can follow direction to adjust and complete plans, tasks, and goals. You can do this in response to expected and unexpected changes requiring minor adjustment or learning that is provided. You can:

  • stay positive
  • persist, and
  • manage emotions in response to minor stress
• Adaptability: Intermediate level

  You can adjust and complete plans, tasks, and goals with some supervision. You can do this in response to expected and unexpected changes requiring moderate adjustment or learning with some resources provided. You can:

  • stay positive
  • persist, and
  • manage emotions in response to moderate stress
• Adaptability: Advanced level

  You can adjust plans, tasks, and goals independently. You can do this in response to expected and unexpected complex changes requiring significant adjustment or learning that is self-directed using diverse resources. You can:

  • stay positive
  • persist, and
  • manage emotions in response to high stress

Collaboration components

A series of components make up the collaboration skill. These components can help organizations to create training programs.

• Collaboration: 1. Work well with other people

  • Engage in trust building behaviours
  • Adhere to social and organizational rules. For example:
    • be on time
  • Encourage supportive and cooperative behaviours, language, attitudes, and approaches
  • Assess strengths and weaknesses of yourself and others
• Collaboration: 2. Value diversity and inclusivity of others

  • Understand that people from different cultures, backgrounds, and abilities can have different customs, values, and ways of thinking and acting
  • Acknowledge and accept differences among people, for example:
    • characteristics
    • abilities
    • cultures
    • religions
    • values
  • Respond without judging people for their different:
    • opinions
    • ideas, and
    • views
  • Adapt to people’s different styles of interaction when possible and appropriate
• Collaboration: 3. Manage difficult interactions with other people

  • Engage in productive discussions
  • Anticipate and address interpersonal barriers
  • Discuss, negotiate, and resolve difficult interactions in a sensitive and helpful manner
• Collaboration: 4. Facilitate an environment where you can collaborate with others

  • Acknowledge roles of yourself and others
  • Understand and adapt to needs, strengths, and weaknesses of others
  • Support others through:
    • coaching
    • mentoring, and
    • motivating
• Collaboration: 5. Achieve a common goal with others

  • Take responsibility to make contributions and complete tasks
  • Consult and share with others when needed and appropriate
  • Ensure opportunities for others to contribute
  • Assess and mitigate risks and manage resources. For example:
    • via system thinking
• Collaboration: 6. Reflect and improve on teamwork

  • Reflect on team performance
  • Make constructive suggestions for improvement
  • Use feedback constructively

Collaboration proficiency levels

Proficiency levels are the level at which a person demonstrates a particular skill. These levels support organizations to:

• build tools to assess people’s skills
• help individuals understand their skill levels

Organizations can adapt the content as needed. The SFS Program will refine the proficiency levels over time.

• Collaboration: Entry level

  You can interact with familiar people or a small number of diverse unfamiliar people to share information to complete routine independent tasks. You can maintain cooperative respectful behaviours toward others and minimize conflict.

• Collaboration: Intermediate level

  You can work with familiar and diverse unfamiliar groups of people to coordinate tasks or work together to achieve simple or well-defined goals. You can support and adapt to others when appropriate and manage conflicts when needed.

• Collaboration: Advanced level

  You can work in large teams of diverse people to achieve complex goals that might involve unpredictable situations. You can take on responsibility for:

  • integrating work
  • coaching and motivating others
  • managing conflicts, and
  • evaluating and improving teamwork

Communication components

A series of components make up the communication skill. These components can help organizations to create training programs and assessments.

• Communication: 1. Listen with intention (for example, pay attention)

  • Interpret other people’s meaning while considering:
    • language
    • gesture
    • emphasis
    • other verbal
    • non-verbal cues
  • Consider your own and others’ personal bias and judgment, for example:
    • unconscious
    • conscious
  • Use appropriate body language to show that you are paying attention, for example:
    • do not fidget
    • maintain focus on the speaker
    • show support, or
    • convey emotion
  • Ask questions to confirm your understanding
  • Be able to summarize and paraphrase key points when needed
• Communication: 2. Listen to understand

  • Detect the speaker’s purpose and intention
  • Understand the information within the given communication context, for example:
    • speaker’s intent
    • actions expected of listener
  • Assess reliability and validity. For example:
    • fact check
  • Analyze other people’s arguments and positions
  • Interpret and reconcile different perspectives
  • Prepare a response that you can make when appropriate
• Communication: 3. Speak with clarity

  • When speaking as appropriate to the situation, use:
    • grammar
    • pronunciation (even with accent)
    • cadence, or
    • rhythm
• Communication: 4. Speak with purpose

  • Use appropriate examples, facts, content, and structure depending on your goals and purposes. For example:
    • to convey or summarize information
    • to explain or persuade
  • Convey a message such that the listener understands the purpose
• Communication: 5. Adapt to your audience and contexts

  • Identify and understand the needs, preferences, and interests of your audience, including differences in communication and interaction styles. For example:
    • culture
    • abilities
  • Identify and understand contexts
  • Choose content, tone, language, gesture, and approach depending on your audience and contexts
  • Understand and manage risks or consequences, for example:
    • to relationship or reputation
    • sharing confidential information
• Communication: 6. Adapt to other people’s different communication modes and tools

  • To make the best use of different communication modes and tools, choose:
    • the appropriate content
    • structure, and
    • approach

Communication proficiency levels

Proficiency levels are the level at which a person demonstrates a particular skill. These levels support organizations to:

• build tools to assess people’s skills
• help individuals understand their skill levels

Organizations can adapt the content as needed. The SFS Program will refine the proficiency levels over time.

• Communication: Entry level

  You can speak and listen to a narrow range of subject matter, using factual and concrete language in predictable and familiar context, interacting one-on-one. You can use and interpret straightforward non-verbal cues. For example through:

  • facial expression
  • eye contact
• Communication: Intermediate level

  You can speak and listen to a moderate range of subject matter, using both factual and abstract language. You can do this in less predictable contexts, interacting one-on-one or in small groups. You can interpret more complex non-verbal cues, including those with cultural implications, to better understand the speaker’s intention and purpose.

• Communication: Advanced level

  You can speak and listen to a wide range and depth of subject matter, using both factual and abstract or conceptual language. You can do this:

  • in a variety of contexts shifting from routine to unpredictable, and
  • by interacting with familiar and unfamiliar audiences of various sizes

  You can interpret complex and subtle non-verbal cues, and use them to adapt your own communication styles.

Creativity and innovation components

A series of components make up the creativity and innovation skill. These components can help organizations to create training programs and assessments.

• Creativity and innovation: 1. Use your imagination and curiosity

  • Imagine different situations and possibilities
  • Show interest in learning and applying new things
  • Seek a wide range of stimuli and experiences
  • Be open to new ideas without judging and setting limitations
• Creativity and innovation: 2. Identify opportunities for you to innovate

  • Challenge norms, habits, and preconceptions where appropriate
  • Identify artificial constraints
• Creativity and innovation: 3. Generate ideas that are novel to yourself or others

  • Deviate from existing processes, thinking, and approaches
  • Use an inquisitive approach. For example:
    • ask questions even when there is no obvious answer
  • Seek patterns where patterns may not be readily apparent. For example:
    • combine unrelated attributes
  • Acknowledge and work with uncertainty and unpredictability.
• Creativity and innovation: 4. Develop your ideas

  • Reverse ideas and approaches to see if the opposite is true
  • Expand on ideas and approaches
• Creativity and innovation: 5. Apply your ideas

  • Act on the creative ideas and approaches to make tangible and useful contributions
  • Expect failures
  • Learn from failures to improve
• Creativity and innovation: 6. Facilitate a creative and innovative environment for yourself and others

  • Encourage habits and behaviors that facilitate creativity and innovation in yourself and others, for example:
    • lightheartedness
    • playful approach
    • healthy competition
  • Support and motivate others to be creative by coaching and sharing:
    • tools
    • information
    • ideas

Creativity and innovation proficiency levels

Proficiency levels are the level at which a person demonstrates a particular skill. These levels support organizations to:

• build tools to assess people’s skills
• help individuals understand their skill levels

Organizations can adapt the content as needed. The SFS Program will refine the proficiency levels over time.

• Creativity and innovation: Entry level

  You can generate a limited number of novel ideas under guidance and support. You are open to applying new ideas, but are quick to revert to norms and habits when the new ideas fail or face uncertainties.

• Creativity and innovation: Intermediate level

  You can generate a larger number of novel ideas on your own. You acknowledge and work with uncertainties, accept failures, and learn from failures to improve your ideas. You are receptive to new ideas from others.

• Creativity and innovation: Advanced level

  You can generate a wider range of novel ideas, with diverse dimensions of originality. You evaluate limitations of novel ideas and find ways to improve them to minimize failures and uncertainties. You facilitate an environment for others to be creative and innovative.

Digital components

A series of components make up the digital skill. These components can help organizations to create training programs and assessments.

• Digital: 1. Use digital devices including computers, tablets, smart phones, and other handheld devices

  • Identify the goals and purposes of the digital task
  • Identify and use the basic functions common to most devices
  • Know the basic terminology common to most digital devices
• Digital: 2. Use common digital tools to complete tasks

  • Use software, mobile applications, and other digital tools for a purpose, for example:
    • Word
    • Excel
    • PowerPoint
    • data analysis software
  • Select appropriate digital tools based on your goals and purposes of tasks
  • Keep digital tools up to date. For example:
    • download updates
  • Use digital tools to enhance accessibility for yourself and others when needed, for example:
    • screen magnifier
    • other assistive technologies
• Digital: 3. Use digital information

  • Navigate digital content, for example:
    • know which part of the website to click
    • know when to click the “Back” and “Next” buttons
    • know how to scroll through documents
  • Carry out digital searches to find information and content, for example:
    • know how to use the ‘Search’ function in a PDF document
    • know how to use search engines such as Google
  • Evaluate the relevance and reliability of digital information. For example, recognize which websites are credible from a list of Google search results.
  • Store and organize digital information in a logical way using files, folders and labels. For example, download online files in a local folder on a computer.
• Digital: 4. Use online tools and platforms

  • Use online communication and social media platforms, for example:
    • Zoom
    • Twitter
    • emails
  • Use online information-sharing platforms, for example:
    • Dropbox
  • Use online forms, for example:
    • for purchases
    • opening accounts
    • job applications
• Digital: 5. Apply safe and responsible practices online

  • Understand best practices in data storage and sharing. For example:
    • know how to create a password to protect data
  • Protect personal information and privacy of yourself and others. For example:
    • know what personal information you can and cannot share online
  • Protect data and devices from online risks and threats for example:
    • use virus protection software
    • know how to avoid phishing emails
  • Make secure online transactions, for example:
    • know how to encrypt a data file with a password before making an online transfer
    • know where and how to enter payment details to safely make online purchases
  • Use appropriate language and behaviour online
  • Recognize and minimize the effect of physical and mental stresses of being online
• Digital: 6. Update and upgrade digital skills

  • Use your existing digital skills and knowledge to learn and apply new and advanced digital skills as needed, for example:
    • learning basic coding
    • learning about block chain
    • virtual reality
    • specialized electronic equipment at work

Digital proficiency levels

Proficiency levels are the level at which a person demonstrates a particular skill. These levels support organizations to:

• build tools to assess people’s skills
• help individuals understand their skill levels

Organizations can adapt the content as needed. The SFS Program will refine the proficiency levels over time.

• Digital: Entry level

  You can use basic functions of familiar digital devices. You need guidance to find and evaluate the relevance and reliability of online information, and to engage in safe online practices.

• Digital: Intermediate level

  You can use a wider range of functions of familiar and unfamiliar digital devices, including customizing devices for specific purposes. For example:

  • download and use an app
  • set up macros to automate tasks

  You can find and use relevant and reliable online information, and engage in safe online practices.

• Digital: Advanced level

  You have in-depth knowledge of digital device operations and information technology system. You can find, use, and build on relevant and reliable online information to improve digital processes, including enhancing your own online safety. You can assess future digital needs and keep your own digital skills up to date.

Numeracy components

A series of components make up the numeracy skill. These components can help organizations to create training programs and assessments.

• Numeracy: 1. Identify the task that will require you to use numeracy

  • Recognize mathematics as the suitable tool for the task
  • Identify the question you will need to answer
  • Identify the form of the response expected
• Numeracy: 2. Identify the mathematical information

  • Locate key details, concepts, and other mathematical information
  • Use methods such as scanning, skimming to identify relevant information
• Numeracy: 3. Make connections between related pieces of mathematical information

  • Make connections between known and unknown in the mathematical problem
  • Make connections between different parts of the information presented
• Numeracy: 4. Apply mathematical operations and tools you will need to answer the question

  • Calculate
  • Order or sort
  • Measure
  • Estimate
  • Apply a combination of operations and tools to complete a complex task
• Numeracy: 5. Interpret and evaluate the information

  • Assess the purpose of the task, the validity of the data presented, and the meaning and implications of the results
  • Evaluate the information or results within the context and whether they make sense. For example:
    • check if the answer is of the expected magnitude or precision
• Numeracy: 6. Share the mathematical information, results and implications

  • Use different means and methods to share the information, its results and implications, such as:
    • in a presentation
    • in writing
    • through a diagram
    • map, or
    • graph

Numeracy proficiency levels

Proficiency levels are the level at which a person demonstrates a particular skill. These levels support organizations to:

• build tools to assess people’s skills
• help individuals understand their skill levels

Organizations can adapt the content as needed. The SFS Program will refine the proficiency levels over time.

• Numeracy: Level 1

  Operations required: Only the simplest operations are required and the operations to be used are clearly specified. Only one type of mathematical operation is used in a task.

  Translation: Only minimal translation is required for you to turn the task into a mathematical operation. All information required is provided.

• Numeracy: Level 2

  Operation required: Only relatively simple operations are required. The specific operations to be performed may not be clearly specified. Tasks involve one or two types of mathematical operation. Few steps of calculations are required.

  Translation: Some translation may be required or the numbers needed for the solution may need to be collected from several sources. Simple formulae may be used.

• Numeracy: Level 3

  Operation required: Tasks may require a combination of operations or multiple applications of a single operation. Several steps of calculation are required.

  Translation: Some translation is required but the problem is well defined. Combinations of formulae may be used.

• Numeracy: Level 4

  Operation required: Tasks involved multiple steps of calculation.

  Translation: Considerable translation is required.

• Numeracy: Level 5

  Operation required: Tasks involve multiple steps of calculation. Advanced mathematical techniques may be required.

  Translation: Numbers needed for calculations may need to be derived or estimated; approximations may need to be created in cases of uncertainty and ambiguity. Complex formulae, equations or functions may be used.

Problem solving components

A series of components make up the problem solving skill. These components can help organizations to create training programs and assessments.

• Problem solving: 1. Identify the issue to address

  • Identify the nature of the issue, for example:
    • is it familiar or new
    • is it simple or complex
  • Identify if you need to make a decision
  • Identify the goals and objectives you need to achieve
• Problem solving: 2. Gather information to help you address the issue

  • Conduct research and collect relevant information. For example:
    • identify existing procedures to address similar issues in the past
  • Recognize and manage biases, pre-conceptions, and habits
  • Differentiate fact from opinion
  • Seek help from others if needed
• Problem solving: 3. Analyze the issue

  • Think critically about the issue using the information gathered
  • Break down the issue into smaller parts
  • Seek patterns, make connections across information
  • Identify possible cause-and-effect linkages
• Problem solving: 4. Develop multiple routes of action

  • Create multiple options for action. For example:
    • based on information you have gathered
    • end goals
    • what has been successful in the past
  • Consider the short- and long-term implications of different options
• Problem solving: 5. Address the issue

  • Use thinking strategies to choose the best course of action, for example:
    • logical thinking
    • if-then thinking
  • Apply the best course of action to make a decision or solve a problem
  • Monitor and adjust the decision-making or problem-solving process to achieve the best results
• Problem solving: 6. Evaluate the effectiveness of the solution or decision

  • Reflect on the success of the process and the end result
  • Provide opportunities for feedback from others
  • Identify best practices and lessons learned from the experience

Problem solving proficiency levels

Proficiency levels are the level at which a person demonstrates a particular skill. These levels support organizations to:

• build tools to assess people’s skills
• help individuals understand their skill levels

Organizations can adapt the content as needed. The SFS Program will refine the proficiency levels over time.

• Problem solving: Entry level

  You can make decisions or solve problems when:

  • there are limited or familiar variables
  • all the information is provided, and
  • the stakes are low with few consequences

  You can use your general knowledge and skills to:

  • process information
  • do simple or routine troubleshooting if needed
  • identify the decision or solution, and
  • confirm the issue is resolved
• Problem solving: Intermediate level

  You can make decisions or solve problems when:

  • there are multiple well-defined variables
  • information is not provided but easily identified, and
  • the stakes are moderate with some consequences

  You are able to:

  • identify useful information sources
  • analyze the information
  • select the best option from multiple choices, and
  • evaluate the effectiveness of the solution or decision based on given or standard criteria
• Problem solving: Advanced level

  You can make decisions or solve problems when:

  • there are many complex unfamiliar variables that can be unpredictable or contradictory
  • little information is provided or certain, and
  • the stakes are high with significant consequences

  You can:

  • search for information using diverse unfamiliar sources or conduct your own research
  • synthesize and analyze complex information to determine multiple options
  • select the best option, and
  • determine how to assess the effectiveness of the process and solution or decision

Reading components

A series of components make up the reading skill. These components can help organizations to create training programs and assessments.

• Reading: 1. Identify the task that requires you to read

  • Recognize why reading will help you achieve a goal
  • Identify the goals and purposes of the reading activity
• Reading: 2. Identify the information

  • Locate key information in various types of documents. For example:
    • tables
    • charts
    • maps
    • articles
    • magazines
    • books
  • Use methods such as scanning, skimming to identify key information
  • Look through multiple pieces of information contained in documents
  • Pull out relevant information from documents
• Reading: 3. Make connections between different parts of the document(s)

  • Connect different parts of the document(s), including continuous and non-continuous texts
  • Identify relationships in the document such as:
    • cause-effect
    • problem-solution
    • category-example
    • compare-contrast, and
    • whole-part relationships
• Reading: 4. Understand and apply the information

  • Understand the information in the context of the whole document(s)
  • Make inferences to obtain the correct information
  • Compare and contrast information
  • Sort information
  • Understand the purpose of the document(s)
  • Comprehend the main theme of the document(s)
  • Paraphrase or summarize information to show understanding
  • Apply the information to complete tasks
• Reading: 5. Evaluate the document(s)

  • Evaluate the purpose, tone, and structure of the document
  • Assess the:
    • relevance
    • credibility, and
    • truthfulness of the information or arguments presented, especially from online sources
• Reading: 6. Reflect on the document(s)

  • Determine the intended audience of the document
  • Where relevant, reflect on how the author is using evidence and/or language to achieve a particular purpose

Reading proficiency levels

Proficiency levels are the level at which a person demonstrates a particular skill. These levels support organizations to:

• build tools to assess people’s skills
• help individuals understand their skill levels

Organizations can adapt the content as needed. The SFS Program will refine the proficiency levels over time.

• Reading: Level 1

  • Read relatively short texts so you can locate a single piece of information
  • Follow simple written directions.
• Reading: Level 2

  Read more complex texts so you can:

  • locate a single piece of information
  • read simpler texts to locate multiple pieces of information
  • make low-level inferences
• Reading: Level 3

  • Choose and integrate information from various sources or from several parts of a single text
  • Make low-level inferences from multiple sources
• Reading: Level 4

  • Integrate and synthesize information from multiple sources or from complex and lengthy texts
  • Make complex inferences and use general background knowledge
  • Evaluate quality of text
• Reading: Level 5

  • Interpret dense and complex texts
  • Make high-level inferences and use specialized knowledge

Writing components

A series of components make up the writing skill. These components can help organizations to create training programs and assessments.

• Writing: 1. Identify the task that requires you to write

  • Identify the goals and purposes of the writing task for example:
    • to narrate
    • to persuade
  • Identify the topic
  • Identify the audience
• Writing: 2. Plan the writing task

  • Identify the information to include in the writing task
  • Determine how much you need to write and the level of details to include
  • Gather information
  • Generate ideas
  • Draft outline
• Writing: 3. Use written words and phrases so you can achieve the purpose of the writing task

  • Use correct spelling
  • Use punctuation so that your meaning is clear
  • Use correct grammar, for example:
    • appropriate verb tense
    • subject-verb agreement
  • Produce legible handwritten text when needed (Note: handwritten text may become obsolete over time)
• Writing: 4. Choose the appropriate language and style for the writing task

  • Use formal and informal tone and language appropriate for audience and context.
  • Use different styles for different purposes. For example:
    • persuasive techniques
    • supporting evidence
    • technical vocabulary
• Writing: 5. Choose the appropriate format for the writing task

  • To organize information or ideas use:
    • paragraphs
    • bullet points
    • numbered list
    • sub-headings
    • etc.
  • To enhance the presentation of information or ideas use:
    • charts
    • tables
    • graphs
    • etc.
  • Use pre-determined or pre-formatted workplace documents, for example:
    • accident report forms
    • timesheets
    • memo boards
• Writing: 6. Review and revise your writing

  • Proofread and correct your writing for grammar and spelling
  • Proofread and revise your writing for accuracy, meaning, and tone

Writing proficiency levels

Proficiency levels are the level at which a person demonstrates a particular skill. These levels support organizations to:

• build tools to assess people’s skills
• help individuals understand their skill levels

Organizations can adapt the content as needed. The SFS Program will refine the proficiency levels over time.

• Writing: Level 1

  Write less than a paragraph to:

  • organize
  • remind, or
  • inform
• Writing: Level 2

  Write brief text that is a paragraph or longer, to serve a variety of purposes. Content of writing is routine, with little variation from one instance to the next.

• Writing: Level 3

  Write either longer or shorter pieces so you can:

  • inform
  • explain
  • request information
  • express opinions or
  • give directions
• Writing: Level 4

  Write longer pieces, which present considerable information and which may feature a comparison or analysis.

• Writing: Level 5

  Write pieces of any length which demand originality and effectiveness. This includes creative writing. Appropriate tone and mood may be as important as the content.