Resource Exchange

Training in the Workforce of the 21st Century
Submitted by: Davidson County Community College
Contact: Steve Miller

Davidson County Community College received a Perkins Professional Development Grant for 2002-2003 to integrate 21st Century Employability Skills into courses. Through a college-wide process, four core competencies were identified that all graduates should possess. These employability skills include the ability to: 

  1. Communicate effectively through speaking, listening, and writing.
  2. Use critical thinking to analyze and solve problems.
  3. Demonstrate knowledge and competence in academic and technical fields of study.
  4. Demonstrate positive, effective, and appropriate interpersonal skills.

Rubrics for evaluating students' performance of these skills can be found at http://www.davidson.cc.nc.us/employabilityskills/skills.htm

As part of the same grant, Davidson produced the Theory into Practice professional development conference that offered strategies for integrating and assessing these employability skills. The PowerPoint presentations and handouts can be found at the links below.

Session I: Design and Use of a Rubric
(Facilitated by Mark Branson)

This presentation provides an introduction to the benefits of using rubrics to assess student skills and explains how to create them.
"Rubric is Not a Cube: Developing and Using Rubrics to Make Assessment Faster and Clearer"

Session II: Integrating Writing Across the Curriculum
(Facilitated by Mark Branson)

This presentation and handout focus on integrating writing into assignments throughout various disciplines.
 
"Writing Across the Curriculum: Incorporating 21st Century Employability Skills at the Course Level"

WAC Worksheet

Session III: Soft Skills—What Employers Want 
(Facilitated by Pat Akers)

After reviewing this presentation, use the handouts and your own syllabi to generate appropriate objectives, strategies, and assessment techniques to address the soft skills.

Integrating Employability Skills: The Interpersonal Skills

Rubric for Assessing Group Participation

Sample Matrix at the Course Level for Employability Skill #4 (Blank)

Sample Matrix at the Course Level for Employability Skill #4 (Completed)

Rubric for Assessing Interpersonal Skills

How to Write Student Objectives and Course Competencies

Additional Objectives, Teaching Strategies, and Assessment Ideas