'Jobs for life - out; skills for life - in.' Few would disagree with this paradigm shift in the workplace, or with the growing significance of the Key Skills initiative in this context. But, while you might believe in Key Skills, actually identifying any skills gaps within your own organisation is very difficult as each organisation needs its own unique skills balance.

This is where Key Skills Analysis comes in. It is a collection of practical tools to identify and analyse key skills competencies in teams, staff, or entire organisations. Then, once your requirements are identified, the material points you in the right direction to fill skills gaps.

The manual is sure to appeal to any human resources manager conducting a skills analysis within their organisation. But the material is also written with the non-specialist in mind, so a line manager can do their own assessments of their department or team.

First of all, Key Skills Analysis defines what Key Skills are and shows their relevance in the workplace. It then focuses directly on how you can identify which Key Skills are required in any particular job. Using the practical assessment tools provided you can then undertake an audit of staff skills.

The manual provides step-by-step instructions for using the tools, as well as discussing the social issues which this kind of training inevitably raises. Finally, it provides you with detailed suggestions on how to deal with skills gaps through setting up specific staff development programmes.

So Key Skills Analysis delivers genuine, tangible benefits. In the immediate term it helps you decide your training strategy based on objective information about staff competencies; in the longer term it helps you tackle the common HR problems that can beset any organisation. Low morale, poor staff retention, unhappy customers - whatever the concern may be, this manual sets you in the right direction and does so by investing in your most valuable asset: the people that work for you.

Contents: Introduction. Part I Key Skills - What are They and Why are They Important: What are Key Skills?; The importance of Key Skills in the workplace; Identifying Key Skills needs; Job task analysis; Assessing the Key Skills of your employees - approaches. Part II The Assessment Tools: How to use the assessment tools; Materials for assessing communication skills; Materials for assessing number skills; Materials for assessing information technology skills; Materials for assessing personal skills - improving own learning and performance; Materials for assessing personal skills - working with others. Part III Meeting the Key Skills Needs of Your Employees: Planning a Key Skills training and development programme; How this manual relates to the QCA Key Skills Units.

About the Author: Lesley Howard and Rose Taw are independent training consultants who have between them over 40 years experience of working in training and education. They collaborate extensively on various projects, helping companies to develop and improve the skills of their workforce.

Lesley’s company, In-house Training Services, also undertakes English language training and she is the co-author of a published English language teaching materials pack. She develops bespoke training packages for international, as well as smaller, companies and has recently been working on an extensive project for a major trade union.

Rose’s business, Rose Taw Training, supports training and development in the field of social care and she works extensively with in-company NVQ development. Two of her projects have won National Training Awards. A NLP master practitioner, Rose uses this expertise in her work, especially within the context of supervisory training.

Reviews: 'This is a very useful, timely and apposite resource that should be available to all line managers (whatever their roles) and training practitioners who are charged with supporting these managers. Following the considerable advice given in the resource, managers, trainers, learners and the organisation should all benefit significantly and be in stronger positions to support each other.' Training Journal, July 2001

'This manual starts by providing quite a good introduction to those underpinning, transferable and non-job-specific skills which are now set out in the QCA's (Qualifications and Curriculum Authority) Key Skill specification … Each part has several chapters and the overall contents page is detailed and comprehensive … the contents which are clear, stylistically accessible and very informative … The material is well pitched in the main, relevant to the experienced trainer with a knowledge/action short-fall in this area but also understandable to line managers to whom responsibility for staff development has been devolved … I feel this pack is good value and would be a useful addition to many HR libraries and collections.' Diane Bailey, TrainingZONE website, May 2001

'This is another of Gower's well structured, simply written and thoughtfully presented training manuals.' Economic Outlook and Business Review, November/December 2001

'This manual is well written and clearly presented with photocopiable work sheets. The self analysis sections in part one are very helpful in enabling the staff developer to focus on what needs to be done and how.' National Association for Staff Development (NASD), January 2002

Extracts from this title are available to view:

Full contents list

Introduction

Chapter 2 - The importance of Key Skills in the workplace