Skills for success (Essential Skills) summary

Skills for Success are needed in a quickly changing world for work, learning and life. They are foundational for building other skills and important for effective social interaction. Everyone benefits from having these skills as they help individuals get a job, progress at their current job and change jobs. They also help individuals become active members of their community and succeed in learning.

Through extensive research and consultations, the Government of Canada launched the new Skills for Success model renewing the previous Essential Skills framework to better reflect the needs of the current and future labour market.

The application of these skills may be described throughout this document within the skills and knowledge which support each sub-task of the trade. The following are summaries of the requirements in each of the Skills for Success.

• Adaptability

  Strong adaptability skills help drywall finishers and plasterers deal effectively with change and to learn new skills and behaviours when needed, stay focused on their responsibilities and goals, and not give up when situations are difficult. Drywall finishers and plasterers use this skill to change work plans to meet new deadlines, learn how to work with new tools and improve their skills through feedback. These skills help them stay positive and manage the stress that can come from changes in the workplace.

• Collaboration

  Modern workplaces are more diverse, and drywall finishers and plasterers may often work with other tradespeople from different backgrounds and cultures to complete tasks and solve problems. It is important to be able to work respectfully with people who have different professions, experiences, cultures, and backgrounds.

  Collaboration skills help drywall finishers and plasterers perform better in a team by understanding how to support and value others, manage difficult interactions and contribute to the team’s work. Strong collaboration skills help drywall finishers and plasterers build and maintain positive relationships with others at work.

• Communication

  Some tasks performed by drywall finishers and plasterers require communication skills, including discussing safety issues, work schedules, modifications, materials and equipment with supervisors, contractors, inspectors, building managers, clients, suppliers and other tradespeople. Drywall finishers and plasterers may explain the fabrication, construction, installation and repair procedures to clients as well. They may also instruct others, such as an apprentice or a work crew, by explaining and demonstrating procedures. Communication skills are important for developing good working relationships with co-workers and clients, including those from different backgrounds and cultures.

• Creativity and Innovation

  Creativity and innovation skills help drywall finishers and plasterers come up with new, unique, or “outside the box” ideas or to approach something differently than in the past. A curious mindset that finds inspiration from a broad range of experiences and perspectives helps develop creativity and innovation skills. With strong creativity and innovation skills, drywall finishers and plasterers can also support and inspire others to develop their own creativity and innovation.

• Digital

  Drywall finishers and plasterers use digital devices such as tablets and smartphones to communicate with others, record job changes and daily activities, track job progress, order materials and perform Internet research.

• Numeracy

  Numeracy skills are important in the everyday work of drywall finishers and plasterers. Mathematical skills are used in taking measurements. Drywall finishers and plasterers may create project timelines, calculating time requirements for tasks in the project. They may also calculate amounts for supplies.

• Problem solving

  Drywall finishers and plasterers require problem solving skills to identify, analyze, propose solutions, and make decisions. The ability to think, make decisions, and solve problems effectively improves the way drywall finishers and plasterers carry out activities, and meet goals and deadlines at work.

• Reading

  Drywall finishers and plasterers require reading skills to gather information from forms and labels. They also need to read to understand more complex texts such as equipment and policy and procedure manuals, specifications and safety regulations. They read bulletins and brochures from suppliers describing new products and technologies.

• Writing

  Writing skills are used by drywall finishers and plasterers to write notes to themselves to record information, such as a personal log of what work was completed on a given day. They may also write notes to supervisors requesting more information or materials or write notes summarizing discussions and decisions at a weekly toolbox or safety meeting. They may also need to complete documents such as incident reports.

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