Formerly known as Key Skills
Functional Skills are the essential skills that everyone needs
to succeed in education and training, in work and in life in
general and provides you with the opportunity to extend your
learning. There are five functional skills. Communication,
Application of Number and Information Technology are the first
three key or functional skills. The other two, working with others,
and improving your own performance or learning, are often called
the wider key skills.
Communication
Focuses on developing effective speaking, listening, reading
and writing techniques.
Communication is particularly useful for improving your ability
to interact in discussions, to sift and evaluate a range of
materials and to put across ideas and information either using the
spoken word or presentation tools. It covers issues ranging from
simple form filling through to influencing people.
Application of Number
Develops your ability to interpret numerical information,
make calculations and present the findings accurately.
As its title suggests, Application of Number is particularly
related to practical situations (putting your maths in context). It
includes such areas as measurements and calculating amounts and
sizes, obtaining and applying information from graphs and diagrams,
and explaining the results of such activities.
Information Technology
Builds computer literacy and effectiveness
Information Technology focuses on the areas of finding,
exploring, developing and presenting a range of information
including text, numbers and images in ways that are relevant. It
also covers health and safety and copyright issues. Practical
applications of IT skills are huge and growing - from researching a
topic, to gathering information in order to tackle a problem, to
creating charts and graphs and writing letters or reports.
Working with others
Developing your understanding of how best to interact
with others to get things done and achieve shared
objectives.
Team working is essential to effective studying and working for
all employees whether they are simply helping someone out, or
involved in organising a major event.
Improving Own Performance
Focusing on the skills that ensure you are able to become an
effective lifelong, active learner.
Improving Own Learning and Performance helps not just you, but
everyone. It supports people in managing their personal, learning
and career development. Effective learners take more value from
vocational and topic specific training and are therefore likely to
be able to transfer their learning into practice more rapidly.