Skills for success (Essential Skills) summary

Essential skills are needed for work, learning and life. They provide the foundation for learning all other skills and enable people to evolve with their jobs and adapt to workplace change.

Through extensive research, the Government of Canada and other national and international agencies have identified and validated nine essential skills. These skills are used in nearly every occupation and throughout daily life in different ways.

A series of CCDA-endorsed tools have been developed to support apprentices in their training and to be better prepared for a career in the trades. The tools can be used independently or with the assistance of a tradesperson, trainer, employer, teacher or mentor to:

• understand how essential skills are used in the trades;
• learn about individual essential skills strengths and areas for improvement; and
• improve essential skills and increase success in an apprenticeship program.

Tools are available online or for order at: Skills for Success – Assessment and training tools.

The application of these skills may be described throughout this document within the competency statements which support each subtask of the trade. The following are summaries of the requirements in each of the essential skills, taken from the essential skills profile.

• Reading

  Insulators (heat and frost) use reading skills to read manuals and details of job specifications such as material lists. They read safety notices, work permits, safety regulations and emergency procedures in order to maintain a safe work environment.

• Document Use

  Documents that insulators (heat and frost) work with include material lists, Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS) sheets and labels, instructions, work orders, reports, dispatch sheets and memos. They may also consult and interpret blueprints, specifications and permits, and complete logbooks.

• Writing

  Insulators (heat and frost) write lists of materials and instructions. They may write hazard assessments, accident reports or keep work records for themselves and apprentices.

• Oral Communication

  Insulators (heat and frost) use oral communication skills during daily or weekly toolbox meetings with co-workers and supervisors to discuss job details. They also meet with workers from other trades to coordinate work. Oral communication skills are important when training apprentices.

• Numeracy

  Insulators (heat and frost) use numeracy skills for measuring and cutting insulation, and determining thickness of insulation for pipes, ducts and equipment. They use formulas for calculating surface areas of frustrums, cones, and regular and irregular shapes to estimate required materials. They also use formulas to determine the thickness of insulation. They may need to convert between metric and imperial measurements.

• Thinking

  Problem solving skills are used by insulators (heat and frost) to anticipate and deal with situations such as materials not arriving as scheduled, unplanned shortages, or the wrong materials being delivered. Every job is different and often plans change requiring insulators (heat and frost) to adapt to the current requirements. Insulators (heat and frost) use their decision making skills when dealing with various issues such as where to make cuts so the material can be formed to the required shape and how to accurately cut the material to avoid waste.

• Digital Technology

  Computers may be used by insulators (heat and frost) for tasks such as accessing specifications and blueprints (Computer Assisted Drawing [CAD]), receiving work orders and for the delivery of safety training. They use digital measuring equipment such as heat guns and thermal imaging cameras, and software such as energy loss assessment. Internet-based applications are also commonly used for research and documentation.

• Working with Others

  Insulators (heat and frost) mostly work independently. They co-ordinate their work with other workers on-site including apprentices, journeypersons, supervisory personnel and workers from other trades depending on the size of the work site and the type of work.

• Continuous Learning

  There is an ongoing requirement to learn while working as an insulator (heat and frost). Work sites and companies may have different protocols. Applications, materials and processes are continually changing and skills need to be kept up-to-date.

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