1. No category

APPENDIX
Life is a Journey
We have seen how Meng has
changed his life by making good
choices: setting a vision and goal
for himself, overcoming negative
thoughts, choosing areas to
improve, taking action to improve
and finally reviewing regularly
so that he can move towards
achieving his vision.
Meng has
It has been two years since Meng took the first
step to improve his life. He has not set up his own
restaurant yet, but his goal has gotten much closer
than before. Right now, he is happy and enjoying
his work. Meng is grateful to his friends and
pleased with his choices for success.
His
What is
38
39
APPENDIX
APPENDIX A
APPENDIX B
BUILD A VISION WORKSHEET
YIN-YANG EXERCISE TEMPLATE
Activity: Writing your own Vision Statement
1. List down all negative thoughts you have about the Vision Statement in the earlier exercise.
2. For each negative thought, list down a positive counter statement.
A Vision Statement is one that states what you wish to be. It is positive, and something that you
want to achieve. Having a Vision Statement motivates us and helps remind us to keep heading
for our goal even when things are not going right.
Negative Thought
Positive Counter Statement
To write your Vision Statement, think about these questions:
1. What is really important to me?
•
•
•
2. What is the future I want? (The dream life that I want to live?)
•
•
•
•
3. My personal Vision Statement is:
Note: Keep it simple, start with “I will……” and end with a timeline such as
“…. by December 2011”.
40
41
APPENDIX
APPENDIX C
Identify the Gaps in my Skill Level
Instructions:
1. In the table below, for each skill, identify:
a. what level you think you are at, as well as
b. what level you feel you need to be in for you to achieve your goals:
2.Write your current skill level in the following table and add them up to get your
personal skill level rating.
Skill Level
Score
Communication
Personal
Effectiveness
Initiative
ProblemSolving
Learning
Workplace
English
Workplace
Maths
4
Excellent
listener. Able to
communicate in
all settings and
cultures
Constantly
striving to
develop
strengths while
addressing
weaknesses
Decides
and acts
quickly when
presented with
opportunity,
able to manage
a team
Views problems
as opportunity,
solves problems
using new ideas
for effective
solutions
Very open
to learning,
learns through
teaching of
skills
Able to use
English in
all and any
situation
Comfortable in
dealing with any
work situation
that involve
calculations
Patient listener.
Clear expression
of ideas
Addresses all
weaknesses
step by step
Acts when
presented with
opportunity
Step by step
approach to
problem solving
Seeks to learn
and grow in
different areas
Able to
use English
language for
most social
situations
Able to reason
and solve
numerical
problems using
more than one
method
2
Can express an
idea clearly
Am aware
of own
strengths and
weaknesses;
addresses
some
weaknesses
Able to see
opportunity in
some cases
Applies different
techniques to
analyse and
solve problems
Commits to
growth in one
or two areas
Recognise
most
words in
newspaper
Able to
understand
problems and
solve them
42
Able to have basic
conversation
Have basic
awareness of
own strength
and weakness
Takes little risk
and initiative
Future Skill Level Score Where I want to be
1 Communication
2 Personal Effectiveness
3 Initiative
4 Problem-solving
5 Learning
6 Workplace English
3
1
Current Skill Level Score Where I am now
Skill
Has occasional
success in
solving
problems
Am closed to
new ideas
Able to
speak basic
English
Able to use
basic maths
functions like
add, subtract
and multiply
7 Workplace Maths
Total
Your Personal Skill Level Rating
Skill Level Rating Beginner
Description
Has only basic skills, will have problems getting and keeping a job
10-13
Intermediate
Shows higher skill levels in some areas, has higher ability to get and keep a job
14-17
Advanced
Higher than average skills in most areas
18-20
Expert
Possesses skills that make them very effective workers and role models for all
Skill Level Total
5-9
43
APPENDIX
APPENDIX D
APPENDIX E
S.M.A.R.T. GoalS Template
Training Record Toolkit
Intermediate Skill Goal
Final Goal
As you learn new skills, it is a good habit to record what you have learnt so you can
review your progress regularly. Here is a simple form to help you do this:
General Description
Name of Training Programme
Specific: Is it clear and exact?
Name of Trainer
Objective(s) of training
Measurable: Is there a number that can be used to compare
before and after?
Action: What are the actions required?
Realistic: Can this goal be achieved What I learnt from the training
Date of training
Action Plan (Immediate steps I will
take after training)
Trainer‘s comments for me
(E.g. What are my strengths and
areas for improvement?)
Trainer’s signature
Time: When will my goal be set?
Date completed
Follow-up on Action Plan
S.M.A.R.T Description
Meng’s Training Record
Name of Training Programme
Pastry and Baking Course
Name of Trainer
Jill Rodriguez
Objective(s) of training
To make cream puffs and éclairs
What I learnt from the training
Making pate a choux. Glaze puffs with egg to give shine
Date of training
Oct – Nov 2010
Action Plan (Immediate steps I will
take after training)
Apply skills to make durian puffs
Trainer‘s comments for me
(E.g. What are my strengths and
areas for improvement?)
Very careful in handling puffs. Remember to add filling just prior to serving
Trainer’s signature
Date completed
10 Dec 2010
Follow-up on Action Plan
44
45
APPENDIX
APPENDIX F
APPENDIX G
Use Resources
Learning Styles and Resources
Top 7 places to find resources for learning and development of skills at little or no cost:
Different people learn differently. By understanding your learning style, you can make better use
of resources to enable yourself to learn faster through a more enjoyable learning method.
1. National Library. Besides being a great place to borrow books and videos, the Singapore
National Library offers numerous public seminars on topics like Strategy and Chess.
Check it out.
2. The Internet. Get access to course content offered by schools and providers through the internet. In addition, you can also learn from:
a.Podcasts - such training content can be found on sites like YouTube.
b.Webinars - web-based seminars conducted by experts, which may be sponsored and
contain product and service information.
3. Associations and User Groups. These are groups building their user base through
outreach programmes to teach beginners. E.g. Self-help groups such as CDAC, Mendaki,
Sinda, CDCs, E2i, and People’s Association have courses available in Community Centres.
The NEA offers classes in landscaping.
4. Adult Education. To encourage workers to develop new skills, there are subsidies
offered to adult learners for taking certain courses. More information is available at WDA
(www.wda.gov.sg).
5. Vendor Training. Many software vendors offer highly subsidised courses to their clients
to help them use and master their product. These could be formal training, internet based
classes or digital material.
The three common learning styles are visual, auditory or kinesthetic.
Learning Style
Visual
Description
Seeing and reading
Auditory
Listening and speaking
Kinesthetic
Touching and doing
What Style Am I?
To find out what learning style suits you, take the following test online:
http://www.businessballs.com/vaklearningstylestest.htm
Sometimes you do not have to do work related activities to develop employability skills.
Activities like the ones suggested below may also help you create new work skills and develop
your competencies as they require you to apply the skills you already have in a different setting.
Activities
V
Read a book or manual
x
ACTIVITY: Get Information from the Internet
Watch a film
x
The internet is full of interesting knowledge. Try typing these search terms into a search bar on
your internet browser and see what you get.
Surf website
x
• “100 Yuan in Singapore dollars” - this can help convert currency.
• “iPad Patent” - find out the secret behind an exciting gadget.
• “My own name” - type your own name and find out what others see when they do an internet
search on you.
Watch “How to‘ video on YouTube”
46
Listen to an audio podcast
Games
A
K
x
x
x
x
x
47
APPENDIX
APPENDIX H
APPENDIX I
Learn from a Coach / Mentor
Mentoring Session Worksheet
We ask people with a lot of experience for their help as their insights enable us to refine our
skills much faster than learning on our own. Mentoring is about having formal relationships with
senior colleagues at work, with whom we seek guidance on personal development.
If you are learning specific skills from someone, this person is a coach to you.
Checklist on Finding a Good Coach/Mentor
A good mentor can help you refine your skills and guide you in your career choices. When
searching for a coach /mentor, consider these tips:
• First, know yourself: The clearer you are about your own goals, strengths and
weaknesses, the easier it is to determine the coach/mentor you want.
• Name of mentee
:
• Name of mentor
:
• Date of meeting
:
• Time of meeting
:
• Duration of meeting
:
• Location
:
• Topics covered
• Aim up: Choose someone who has succeeded in their work and social goals.
• Research your coach/mentor: Be clear about what will help you and use that as the basis
for finding a mentor. Before asking others for help, be clear about what you are looking for
and why.
• Choose someone you respect: You will be spending lots of time with your coach/mentor.
He/she should be someone you can trust and also a good role model for you.
• Take the initiative: Be proactive in finding a coach/mentor. If your organisation does not
have a formal programme, you can approach individuals who have the relevant experience to
seek their advice. This can be over coffee or lunch and when it becomes a regular event, you
have got yourself a coach/mentor.
48
• Action steps
49
APPENDIX
APPENDIX J
Name Address / Tel
Web / Email
Services
Boys’ Town Of Singapore
622 Upper Bukit Timah Road
Tel: 6769 1618
www.boystown.org.sg
A Catholic institution dedicated to
providing guidance, shelter, education,
vocational training and practical living
skills for youths, particularly the
orphaned, the poor and neglected.
Children’s Cancer Foundation (CCF) 138 Bukit Timah Road
Tel: 6835 6465
www.ccf.org.sg
Provides counseling, education, parent
support groups, family outings and
financial assistance, as well as
promote public awareness. Need
volunteers who can involve children
with cancer in structured play
activities, clean toys, prepare art &
craft activities, tutor and befriend
children with cancer or siblings.
Down’s Syndrome Association
DSA Centre
BLK 17A
Telok Blangah Crescent
www.downsyndrome-singapore.org
Provide support and educate
professionals, families and public
about Down’s syndrome. Volunteers
provide emotional support,
understanding and information to new
parents of children with Down’s
syndrome.
Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA)
31 Mount Vernon Road
Tel: 6287 5355
www.spca.org.sg
SPCA is the only registered animal
welfare charity in Singapore, taking
in over 1,000 unwanted animals each
month. Volunteer opportunities include
office assistance, public relations,
promotions, counseling and animal
care and maintenance.
Society for the Physically Disabled
2 Peng Nguan Street
SPD Ability Centre
www.spd.org.sg
The Society works towards the
integration of people with physical
disabilities into mainstream society.
Volunteering opportunities exist in
administration, education and training,
recreation and rehabilitation.
Samaritans of Singapore
1-800-6221-4444
www.samaritans.org.sg
Well-trained group of volunteers
who operate a 24-hour emergency
hotline for people in despair or
contemplating suicide.
Singapore Association of the
Visually handicapped
47 Toa Payoh Rise
Tel: 6251 4331
www.savh.org.sg
Provides support for the visually
handicapped. Volunteers needed to
work as orientation and mobility helpers
and assist in teaching activities for daily
living skills.
Singapore Association of the Deaf
227 Mountbatten Road
Tel: 6344 8274
www.sadeaf.org.sg
Looks after the welfare, social,
recreational and educational needs
of the hearing impaired in Singapore
and also provides help to parents
of hearing impaired children.
Volunteer opportunities include sign
interpretation, tuition, social outings,
sports and recreation.
Singapore Children’s Society
298 Tiong Bahru Road
www.childrensociety.org.sg
Organisation committed to the
protection of the physical, emotional
and mental well-being of Children
particularly the disadvantaged and
those at risk. Volunteering opportunities
include administrative work, befriending
children / family support, fundraising
and tuition.
Volunteer in social life
Top Tips for Taking Initiative
• Choose a cause or issue that you feel strongly about. This will give you a lot of
satisfaction, so volunteering will not seem like “work”.
• Know that you can make a difference. In many situations, you will not need to solve major
problems. Showing understanding and sharing ideas, or even simply being there, can be
your contribution.
• Take it easy. Do not do more than you can handle. Take time to get to know the people you
are volunteering with and the process. You can assume more responsibilities in due course.
• Consider volunteering with a group of friends or family to share your journey of discovery.
You will also have an instant support group to help you when you are in need of support.
The list contains only a few of the non-profit organisations in Singapore. For the complete list of non-profit
organisations, please refer to National Council of Social Services at http://www.ncss.org.sg
50
51
APPENDIX
APPENDIX K
APPENDIX L
TAKE THE LEAD
REVIEW
Volunteering for a social cause changes our outlook from being passive to active. Similarly we
can apply the same principle to actively take initiative at work.
Bridge
Gaps
New skills that are learnt will be lost if we do not apply them. It is important to look for
opportunities to apply what we have learnt at work.
Set
Milestone
Top Tips for Taking Initiative:
What work
activities will
build skills?
Non-work
activities?
Review
for
Progress
What realistic
target do you
need to meet?
By when?
Which part of
your plan
needs to be
adjusted?
• Share a vision. Develop a new and simple idea that can make a difference and share that.
• Have a say at the next meeting. Take the chance to assert yourself and your vision and
learn to communicate your point of view persuasively.
• Practice active listening skills. Effective leaders know that great ideas comes from
communication and the key to great communication is seeking to understand before seeking
to be understood.
• Be interested in others. When you get to know others, you will be able to understand how
you can help them grow and vice-versa.
• Volunteer for committees. Being on committees is a good chance to practise your problem
solving skills, take initiative and demonstrate your abilities to others.
Identify
Gaps
What key skills
do you need?
Which are
lacking?
Change
Mindset
How much
effort is
required?
What attitude
must change?
Build a
Vision
What is your
dream? What
is a realistic
goal to
achieve?
• Offer to mentor others. You have benefitted from being mentored. By mentoring others, you
continue to learn and grow.
52
53
APPENDIX
APPENDIX M
APPENDIX N
Performance Feedback Form
About THE SINGAPORE Workforce Development Agency (WDA)
About WDA
Thank you for taking time to provide me with feedback for improving my performance. Please provide honest and objective information for the following questions
1. My Areas of Strength:
2. My Areas for Improvement:
Key Skill
Assessment
Communication and Relationship
Management
Personal Effectiveness
Initiative and Enterprise
Learning and Personal Development
Problem Solving and Decision Making
Thank you for your feedback.
Suggested activity
The Singapore Workforce Development Agency (WDA) was formed to develop a competitive
workforce in Singapore possessing the knowledge and skills that are relevant and sought after
by employers.
To achieve its mission, the WDA has developed several key initiatives:
• The national Continuing Education and Training (CET) infrastructure, leveraging an
established network of Industry Skills and Development Councils to help it chart the future of
manpower development in each economic sector.
• The Singapore Workforce Skills Qualifications (WSQ) system where training curriculum is
delivered through the CET Centres and a network of training providers.
• Partnership where WDA works with employers, industry leaders, the Unions, other
Governmental agencies and training organisations to roll out CET programmes and initiatives
to develop a pipeline of skilled workers to meet industry needs.
The WSQ System
The Singapore Workforce Skills Qualifications (WSQ) is a national credentialing system. It
trains, develops, assesses and recognises individuals for competencies companies are
looking for.
Based on national standards developed by WDA in collaboration with various industries, WSQ
comprises industry sectoral frameworks which serve to professionalise the industry, where
industry lacks recognised Continuing Education and Training (CET) qualifications.
The key features of the WSQ are industry-based competencies, flexible training modules, and
international credentials.
54
55
APPENDIX
APPENDIX N
APPENDIX O
About THE SINGAPORE Workforce Development Agency (WDA)
Employability Skills
Other industry and occupation skills apart from Foundational Skills (ES Framework)
Employability Skills (ES) can be defined as generic skills, capabilities which are required not
only to gain employment, but also to progress within an organisation. ES helps an individual to
better adapt to new job demands and changing work environment. ES is sometimes referred
to as key skills, core skills, life skills, essential skills, key competencies, necessary and
transferrable skills.
The Singapore Workforce Skills Qualifications (WSQ) industry frameworks cover skills that equip
individuals with the “know-how” to perform specific jobs well.
Industry players, training institutions and unions work together in the Industry Skills and Training
Council (ISTC) to identify the skills required and develop each industry-specific WSQ and review
them periodically for currency and relevance.
The range of the Industry and Occupational Skills Frameworks and competency maps covers from
Aerospace to Training and are growing each day. Please refer to WDA (www.wda.gov.sg) for the
latest list of frameworks.
Information on Training
Under the WSQ system, anyone can pick up skills and receive qualifications that are nationally
recognised by employers. These qualifications are as good as the credentials issued by
international and local institutions. Industries and employers validate the best international practices
and standards that WSQ offers.
WSQ recognises prior learning such as work experience and qualifications. You can choose to take
singular or flexible training modules. These singular modules can be built up to full qualifications
over time at your pace.
With a WSQ certification, you are able to:
• Plan career path and enter a new industry
• Upgrade your skills and advance through clear progression pathways
Here are some information on the ES:
1. Foundational Skills (Workplace Literacy and Numeracy, and Information and Communication
Technologies )
a. Workplace Literacy - Develops an individual‘s ability to speak, listen, read and write in
the course of work (using English as the main language of communication). This is a
basic requirement of an effective worker and these skill sets are different from technical
competencies.
b. Workplace Numeracy - Develops the individual to manage a situation or solve a problem
in a real-life context, such as everyday life, the workplace and in public situation using
mathematics. The learning areas for the Workplace Numeracy (WPN) modules include:
Use basic and fundamental mathematics skills to identify, locate, act upon, interpret or
communicate a problem, provide information about mathematical ideas including quantity
and number, dimension and shape, pattern and relationship and changes, represent
information about mathematical ideas using objects, pictures, numbers, symbols,
diagrams, maps, graphs, tables and text.
c. Workplace ICT - Introduces common terminologies used in computing; basic ICT tools,
equipment and software to process information and generate different types of document
for the workplace.
• Describe skills set clearly to employers
• Obtain portable credentials for existing skills
• Assess and benchmark your capabilities against industry standards
To find out more about WSQ and the various training available, you can log on to:
www.wda.gov.sg/wsq
56
57
REFERENCES
APPENDIX O
Employability Skills
2. Personal Management and Development Skills
Develops personal mastery competence to enable individuals to manage their lives and work
with efficacy and efficiency. Covers awareness of personal goals and how to align it with
organisational goals.
3. Analytical, Conceptual and Evaluative Skills
Develops people to take initiatives to improve work performance; practise innovative and
enterprising behaviours; and identify, evaluate and manage risk in the workplace.
• Final Report: Development of a Strategy to Support the
Universal Recognition and Recording of Employability
Skills – A skills portfolio approach
Department of Education, Science and Training (DEST), Australia
• The Changing Nature of Generic Skills
Expert Group on Future Skills Needs Secretariat
• Generic Skills for Employability: Educational Colonisation
or Educational Opportunity
Jill Sanguinetti
4. Interpersonal Skills
• Generic Skills Listing – NCVER, Australia
Equips individuals with effective communication skills to build rapport and relationship with
colleagues, stakeholders and customers. Also imparts negotiation and conflict management
skills for a win-win outcome.
5. Job Safety Skills
Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry & Business
Council of Australia
• SCANS Competency and Foundation Skill Framework
Learning a Living: A Blueprint for High Performance. The Secretary‘s
Develops knowledge and skills to enable individuals to apply health and safety practices in
the workplace to maintain a safe environment.
Commission on Achieving Necessary Skills, U.S. Department of Labour
• SKOPE (UK) Generic Skills Classification
Dickerson, A and Green, F. The Growth and Valuation of Generic Skills
• Generic Skills in Vocational Education and Training
Australian National Training Authority
• Ministry of Manpower – CET Masterplan
• Singapore Workforce Development Agency
WSQ Programmes
• Generic Skills needed to Produce Human Capital with
“First Class Mentality”
European Journal of Social Sciences Vol 10, Number 1, 2009
• G20 speaking notes on lifelong learning
Emmanuel Julien, 2010
58
59