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.
The tools are available online or for order at: https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/programs/essential-skills/profiles.html.
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
Concrete finishers read instructions on labels for products. They read workplace safety materials as well as manuals, work orders, information sheets and reports. They also read emails and memos from supervisors and co-workers about ongoing work.
Document Use
Concrete finishers locate data on documents such as labels, lists, tables and schedules. They use drawings, specifications and information in work orders and manufacturers’ instructions to plan and complete work. They use forms and production reports to keep track of information such as amount of concrete used, set-up and finishing times. Safety audit forms are used to identify hazards.
Writing
Concrete finishers write brief text entries in forms and in logbooks. They may describe project details on estimate sheets. They write notes or emails to supervisors and co-workers about ongoing work, material requirements and equipment malfunctions. They may also complete safety documentation and write incident reports to describe events leading up to a workplace incident.
Oral Communication
Concrete finishers discuss work orders, equipment and job task coordination with co-workers. They also discuss safety, productivity, and procedural and policy changes at meetings with co-workers, supervisors and clients. They inform supervisors about work progress and may seek guidance and approvals from them. They also talk to suppliers about orders and deliveries.
Numeracy
Concrete finishers measure areas, distances, angles, slopes and volumes. They perform calculations such as volume of concrete and quantities of finishing products for jobs, and set timelines for placing, finishing, curing and protection tasks. They estimate time to complete tasks.
Thinking
Thinking skills are important for concrete finishers. They make decisions about order of tasks and their priorities as well as the selection of tools and equipment, methods and products for concrete finishing and repair. They evaluate the preparedness of job sites for placing and finishing concrete. They problem solve in situations that affect job completion such as insufficient manpower on-site, equipment breakdowns, late or missing deliveries, and job site safety and inaccessibility. They also assess the quality of concrete finishing jobs by checking elevations, observing the appearance and consistency of concrete, and evaluating the aesthetic appearance of decorative concrete work.
Digital Technology
Technologies are transforming the ways in which concrete finishers obtain, analyze and communicate information. They use devices, such as calculators or calculating applications on their personal devices to complete numeracy-related tasks. They use communications software to exchange emails with clients, co-workers and supervisors.
Self-employed concrete finishers may use bookkeeping, accounting and billing software. They may use word processing, spreadsheet or database software to prepare job estimates, calculate costs and retrieve forms and drawings.
Working with Others
Concrete finishers coordinate job tasks with other finishers and trades to complete jobs. They also coordinate job tasks with drivers, operators, surveyors and other tradespeople on work sites.
Continuous Learning
Concrete finishers are continuously learning new skills relating to evolving technologies and materials. They may learn on the job through mentorship or through formal training.