The development of essential employability skills is a need across communities regardless of organization type and age group. To be able to respond to the ways that industry will continue to transform across sectors, the World Economic Forum Future of Jobs Report for 2023 emphasizes the need for individuals to develop core skills in analytical and creative thinking, as well as self-efficacy skills, including resilience, flexibility, motivation, self-awareness, curiosity, and lifelong learning. At a time when educators and employers are both hopeful and worried about how AI will shift the landscape, it is vital that we focus on cross-sector essential employability skills that will set individuals up for success regardless of the college and career path they choose.
What Are Essential Employability Skills?
Updated in 2022, Illinois’ “Recommended Technical and Essential Employability Competencies” report defines the essential employability competencies at a policy level through consultation with state agencies and key industry experts, including hiring professionals, education and training professionals, and industry associations. Essential employability competencies, often connected to employability skills or “soft” skills, are defined as workplace dispositions and attitudes connected to often-performed work tasks and behaviors. Applicable across many industries, these competencies include the ability to connect industry knowledge to one’s personal efficacy in the workplace. Competencies serve as quality indicators of an individual’s readiness to enter an industry or to pursue further education.
Training Youth in Peoria, Rockford, and Chicago
Communities across Illinois are taking the initiative to prepare students for productive lives and careers by developing innovative training programs aligned to essential employability competencies. In 2019, the Peoria community responded to the need by spearheading an initiative called the Greater Peoria Essential Abilities and Knowledge (GPEAK) system. GPEAK students can earn badges for each of Illinois’ ten essential skills by demonstrating mastery of the key performance indicators; once all ten are earned, students receive GPEAK certification. Within the Peoria community, GPEAK is now used in a variety of programs and courses at Illinois Central College, including Innovative Bridge to Health Careers, Solar Pipeline Training, Career Foundations, Workforce Readiness, Women in Non-Traditional Roles, corporate and community education (used for specialized training), and professional development for employees.
Building on the success of GPEAK in the Peoria region, additional communities are now utilizing the badging system in their own ways. EdSystems is now supporting the implementation of GPEAK in Rockford and Chicago in addition to Peoria.
Rockford Public Schools (RPS) has integrated GPEAK into their Work Study Program, newly launched in the 2023–2024 school year. Students who have a part-time job outside of the school day can earn digital badges once they have demonstrated an essential skill based on feedback from their manager. As part of the initiative, RPS has hired and trained job coaches, who meet 1-2 times a month with each student’s manager to understand the student’s performance and where additional training or support may be needed. Job coaches also meet with students, providing them with tactics to develop their skills and ensure they’re able to succeed in their current jobs as well as in their future careers. RPS has received feedback that managers are having collaborative conversations with their students they weren’t having before, and students have shared that they feel more comfortable discussing their work with a manager.
Career Launch Chicago is utilizing GPEAK for professional development for 12th grade students participating in youth apprenticeships at companies across Chicago. These ongoing conversations provide a space for youth apprentices to reflect on how the essential skills are showing up in the workplace and to engage in conversations on both celebrating their successes and how to improve their performance.
Designing an Essential Employability Skills System
GPEAK is a collaborative effort led by Illinois Central College in partnership with Peoria’s CEO Council and Regional Workforce Development Alliance, Greater Peoria Economic Development Council, and the Illinois Community College Board. More than 85 community members representing diverse stakeholders across education and industry worked together to design GPEAK as a regional approach to assess and validate essential skills crucial for college and career success.
The GPEAK system includes three main components:
- Performance indicators, which build from the state’s recommended essential employability competencies by unpacking them into explicit actions and behaviors to be taught, observed, and assessed
- Curricular resources for GPEAK participants, including case studies, journal activities, reflection prompts, workshop ideas, and mentor moments to help individuals reflect on and develop their employability skills.
- Certification for GPEAK completers. Participants submit pre- and post-assessments and upload evidence to support the attainment of the GPEAK competencies. Validators then review the information and award competency badges. Once an individual earns all ten badges, they are GPEAK certified.
A key component of the GPEAK system is the opportunity for reflection and discussion that are embedded in both the curricular resources and assessments. This value-add of GPEAK has inspired communities outside of Peoria to engage in the GPEAK system, including Rockford and Chicago.
Learn More
The GPEAK system represents a necessary shift in preparing students for the workforce, emphasizing the importance of validating essential skills and providing resources for employers and educators to engage.
- Join us on February 29, 2024, at the Illinois Success Network Conference to hear directly from Rockford Public Schools on how they utilize GPEAK to support and validate essential skills with their high school students!
- Use the connect form below to connect with EdSystems on how GPEAK can be utilized in your community to support well-rounded individuals ready to excel in their personal and professional lives.
- Visit gpeak.org to learn more.
