What are Employability Skills?
Employability skills are also sometimes referred to as generic skills, capabilities, enabling skills or key competencies. Australia’s Employability Skills were developed in 2002 by the Business Council of Australia and the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, in consultation with other peak employer bodies, and outlined in the Employability Skills for the Future 
report, funded by the Australian Government.
The report indicated that business and industry require a broad range of skills in their employees. Employability Skills for the Future featured an ‘Employability Skills Framework’ which identified eight employability skills:
- Communication
- Teamwork
- Problem solving
- Initiative and enterprise
- Planning and organising
- Self-management
- Learning
- Technology
The report also identified a set of personal attributes which employers believe contribute to overall employability.
Job Ready Certificate – Consultations 2009
A Job Ready Certificate is being developed by the Australian Government. It is anticipated the Job Ready Certificate will assess and report on employability skills of students who complete secondary school and have undertaken a VET in Schools program and had on-the-job experience.
A Job Ready Certificate Discussion Paper has been developed, and national stakeholder consultations were held in February/March 2009.
Employability Skills in Training Packages
Employability Skills are embedded in Training Package units of competency, and Employability Skills Summaries are prepared for each Training Package qualification. The assessment of Employability Skills is undertaken through the standard integrated assessment of competency with Employability Skills reported via the Employability Skills Summaries. Resource material for trainers has been developed by the National Quality Council.
Australia’s eight Employability Skills are communication; teamwork; problem solving; initiative and enterprise; planning and organising; self-management; learning; and technology. These skills are not only for gaining employment, but are also for enabling progress within an enterprise or to expand employment capability.
Additional information about Employability Skills in Training Packages is here.
Other Information on Employability Skills:
Study into the Assessment and Reporting of Employability Skills of Senior Secondary Students
In June 2007, the Australian Council of Educational Research (ACER) undertook a study to investigate the most effective ways of assessing and reporting on the employability skills of senior secondary students. The report highlights six approaches through which senior secondary students’ achievement of employability skills can be assessed and reported. The report is available at:
Report: PDF (642.5 KB)
To view the publication, please view the School Education Publications and Resources page.
Development of a strategy to support the Universal Recognition and Recording of Employability Skills
The former Department of Education, Science and Training (now part of DEEWR) completed a project consultancy, managed by The Allen Consulting Group and the National Centre for Vocational Education Research, to develop a universal recognition and recording strategy for the eight groupings of employability skills. The project website can be found at the Allen Consulting Group website and the final report (1.1 MB) is available. The project consultations supported a 'skills portfolio' approach.
Development of a national employability skills e-portfolio website
An e-portfolio was developed and trialled by education.au limited. e-portfolios are a skills portfolio database that allows people to record their academic, vocational and employability skills to support job applications, career planning, and entry into further education and training. More information on the project can be found at http://www.educationau.edu.au/jahia/Jahia/home/pid/637