Essay On Key Skills

tertiary) and vocational education and training. The term 'key skills' was introduced to describe skills which were defined as being generic and transferable skills that people could learn and develop in a wide variety of situations (Kelly, 2001). A national 'key skills qualification' was introduced that focused on effective communication, application of number and the use of information technology as 'main' key skills, and working with others, improving own learning and performance, and problem-solving as 'wider' key skills.

Comparative depiction of set of skills under soft skills in different countries is given in Table l.2

Table 1.2: Comparison of set of skills under soft skills in Australia, UK, United States and New Zealand
Australia(Mayor

It included communication skills, social skills, presentation skill, interpersonal skill, leadership skills, team building skills, problem solving skills, critical thinking skill, and personal attributes: self motivation, positive attitude towards work, adaptability, ethical practice, personal development, assertiveness, self-confidence, and emotional intelligence etc.
In terms of key competencies, Mayer (1992) defined them as, "competencies essential for effective participation in the emerging patterns of work and work organisation. They focus on the capacity to apply knowledge and skills in an integrated way in work situations. Key competencies are generic in that they apply to work generally rather than being specific to work in particular occupations or industries. This characteristic means that the key competencies are not only essential for participation in work, but are also essential for effective participation in further education and in adult life more generally".

Life skills are defined by WHO as “abilities for adaptive and positive behavior that enables individuals to deal effectively with the demands and challenges of everyday