Key Competencies involve Literacy

These key competencies have been developed by a collaborative process involving Commonwealth, State and Territory governments, teachers, parents, business and industry and union representatives from all around Australia .

As you can see most of them require literacy skills.

Collecting, analysing and organising information

The capacity to locate information, sift and sort information in order to select what is required and present it in a useful way and evaluate both the information itself and the sources and methods used to obtain it.

Examples include:

filing invoices using file numbers and names

establishing requirements of members of a group tour

establishing a database of decisions, agenda papers and information for a committee which meets regularly

Communicating ideas and information

The capacity to communicate effectively with others using the range of spoken, written, graphic and other non-verbal means of expression.

Examples include:

explaining a procedure so that others can carry it out successfully

preparing a maintenance report for a piece of equipment

answering questions put by an audience at the end of a speech or talk

Planning and organising activities

The capacity to plan and organise one's own work activities, including making good use of time and resources, sorting out priorities and monitoring one's own performance.

Examples include:

establishing and maintaining a personal daily work schedule

organising the rehearsal schedule for a band

managing competing demands when working for several people

Working with others and in teams

The capacity to interact effectively with other people both on a one-to-one basis and in groups, including understanding and responding to the needs of a client and working effectively as a member of a team to achieve a shared goal.

Examples include:

working as a member of a team in a fast food outlet

establishing improved morale in a team after serious defeat or disappointment

directing a play

Using mathematical ideas and techniques

The capacity to use mathematical ideas, such as number and space, and techniques, such as estimation and approximation, for practical purposes.

Examples include:

estimating the amount of cement required for a bricklaying task

managing food quantities and nutritional balance in a childcare centre

constructing a spreadsheet to calculate wages, tax, and the required denomination of notes and coins for pay packets based on the input of hours worked and rate of pay.

Solving problems

The capacity to apply problem-solving strategies in purposeful ways, both in situations where the problem and the desired solution are clearly evident and in situations requiring critical thinking and a creative approach to achieve an outcome.

Examples include:

dealing with a complaint from a guest in a hotel

reducing hazards on a work site

adapting work priorities to accommodate new orders

Using technology

The capacity to apply technology, combining the physical and sensory skills needed to operate equipment with the understanding of scientific and technological principles needed to explore and adapt systems.

Examples include:

entering and retrieving data from a computer software package

monitoring the safety and operating condition of equipment and facilities

preparing options for upgrading the energy efficiency of a dwelling of simple design