Example 3-2. Chart of SCANS Skills
SCANS Skills are grouped in two areas: (1) foundation skills and and (2) workplace competencies.
Foundation Skills are defined in three areas: (a) basic skills, (b) thinking skills, and (c) personal qualities.
(a) Basic Skills: A worker must read, write, perform arithmetic and mathematical operations, listen, and speak effectively. These skills include:
- Reading: locate, understand, and interpret written information in prose and in documents such as manuals, graphs, and schedules.
- Writing: communicate thoughts, ideas, information, and messages in writing, and create documents such as letters, directions, manuals, reports, graphs, and flow charts.
- Arithmetic and Mathematical Operations: perform basic computations and approach practical problems by choosing appropriately from a variety of mathematical techniques.
- Listening: receive, attend to, interpret, and respond to verbal messages and other cues.
- Speaking: organize ideas and communicate orally.
(b) Thinking Skills: A worker must think creatively, make decisions, solve problems, visualize, know how to learn, and reason effectively. These skills include:
- Creative Thinking: generate new ideas.
- Decision Making: specify goals and constraints, generate alternatives, consider risks, and evaluate and choose the best alternative.
- Problem Solving: recognize problems and devise and implement plan of action.
- Visualize ("Seeing Things in the Mind's Eye"): organize and process symbols, pictures, graphs, objects, and other information.
- Knowing How to Learn: use efficient learning techniques to acquire and apply new knowledge and skills.
- Reasoning: discover a rule or principle underlying the relationship between two or more objects and apply it when solving a problem.
(c) Personal Qualities: A worker must display responsibility, self-esteem, sociability, self-management, integrity, and honesty.
- Responsibility: exert a high level of effort and persevere toward goal attainment.
- Self-Esteem: believe in one's own self-worth and maintain a positive view of oneself.
- Sociability: demonstrate understanding, friendliness, adaptability, empathy, and politeness in group settings.
- Self-Management: assess oneself accurately, set personal goals, monitor progress, and exhibit self control.
- Integrity and Honesty: choose ethical courses of action.
(2) Workplace Competencies are defined in five areas: (a) resources, (b) interpersonal skills, (c)information, (d) systems, and (e) technology.
(a) Resources: A worker must identify, organize, plan, and allocate resources effectively.
- Time: select goal-relevant activities, rank them, allocate time, and prepare and follow schedules.
- Money: Use or prepare budgets, make forecasts, keep records, and make adjustments to meet objectives.
- Material and Facilities: Acquire, store, allocate, and use materials or space efficiently.
- Human Resources: Assess skills and distribute work accordingly, evaluate performance and provide feedback.
Examples: use computer software to plan a project; prepare a budget; conduct a cost/benefits analysis; design an RFP process; write a job description; develop a staffing plan.
b) Interpersonal Skills: A worker must work with others effectively.
- Participate as Member of a Team: contribute to group effort.
- Teach Others New Skills.
- Serve Clients/Customers: work to satisfy customers' expectations.
- Exercise Leadership: communicate ideas to justify position, persuade and convince others, responsibly challenge existing procedures and policies.
- Negotiate: work toward agreements involving exchange of resources, resolve divergent interests.
- Work with Diversity: work well with men and women from diverse backgrounds.
Examples: collaborate with a group member to solve a problem; work through a group conflict situation; train a colleague; deal with a dissatisfied customer in person; select and use appropriate leadership styles; use effective delegation techniques; conduct an individual or team negotiation; demonstrate an understanding of how people from different cultural backgrounds might behave in various situations.
(c) Information: A worker must be able to acquire and use information.
- Acquire and Evaluate Information.
- Organize and Maintain Information.
- Interpret and Communicate Information.
- Use Computers to Process Information.
Examples: research and collect data from various sources; develop a form to collect data; develop an inventory record-keeping system; produce a report using graphics; make an oral presentation using various media; use on-line computer data bases to research a report; use a computer spreadsheet to develop a budget.
(d) Systems: A worker must understand complex interrelationships.
- Understand Systems: know how social, organizational, and technological systems work and operate effectively with them.
- Monitor and Correct Performance: distinguish trends, predict impacts on system operations, diagnose deviations in systems' performance and correct malfunctions.
- Improve or Design Systems: suggest modifications to existing systems and develop new or alternative systems to improve performance.
Examples: draw and interpret an organizational chart; develop a monitoring process; choose a situation needing improvement, break it down, examine it, propose an improvement, and implement it.
(e) Technology: A worker must be able to work with a variety of technologies.
- Select Technology: choose procedures, tools or equipment including computers and related technologies.
- Apply Technologies to Task: understand overall intent and proper procedures for setup and operation of equipment.
- Maintain and Troubleshoot Equipment: Prevent, identify, or solve problems with equipment, including computers and other technologies.
Examples: read equipment descriptions and technical specifications to select equipment to meet needs; set up and assemble appropriate equipment from instructions; read and follow directions for troubleshooting and repairing equipment.
Example 3-3.
SCANS Occupational Assessment
The know-how identified by SCANS is made up of five competencies and a three-part foundation of skills and personal qualities needed for solid job performance. The rating level ranges from 1 (low) to 5 (high). Please circle your response.
COMPETENCY |
RATING |
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Resources: Identifies, organizes, plans, and allocates resources. |
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C1 |
Time: Selects goal-relevant activities, ranks them, allocates time, and prepares and follows schedules. |
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C2 |
Money: Uses or prepares budgets, makes forecasts, keeps records, and makes adjustments to meet objectives. |
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C3 |
Materials and Facilities: Acquires, stores, allocates, and uses materials or space efficiently. |
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C4 |
Human Resources: Assesses skills and distributes work accordingly, evaluates performance, and provides feedback. |
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Information: Acquires and uses information. |
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C5 |
Acquires and evaluates information. |
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C6 |
Organizes and maintains information. |
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C7 |
Interprets and communicates information. |
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C8 |
Uses computers to process information. |
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Interpersonal: Works with others. |
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C9 |
Participates as a member of a team: Contributes to group effort. |
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C10 |
Teaches others new skills. |
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C11 |
Serves Clients/Customers: Works to satisfy customer's expectations. |
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C12 |
Exercises Leadership: Communicates ideas to justify position, persuades and convinces others, responsibly challenges existing procedures and policies. |
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C13 |
Negotiates: Works toward agreements involving exchange of resources; resolves divergent interests. |
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C14 |
Works With Diversity: Works well with men and women from diverse backgrounds. |
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Systems: Understands complex interrelationships. |
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C15 |
Understands Systems: Knows how social, organizational, and technological systems work and operates effectively with them. |
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C16 |
Monitors and Corrects Performance: Distinguishes trends, predicts impacts on system operations, diagnoses system's performance, and corrects malfunctions. |
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C17 |
Improves or Designs Systems: Suggests modifications to existing systems and develops new or alternative systems to improve performance. |
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Technology: Works with a variety of technologies. |
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C18 |
Selects Technology: Chooses procedures, tools, or equipment, including computers and related technologies. |
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C19 |
Applies Technology to Task: Understands overall intent and proper procedures for setup and operation of equipment. |
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C20 |
Maintains and Troubleshoots Equipment: Prevents, identifies, or solves problems with equipment, including computers and other technologies. |
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FOUNDATION |
RATING |
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Basic Skills: Reads, writes, performs arithmetic and mathematical operations, listens, and speaks. |
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F1 |
Reading: Locates, understands, and interprets written information in prose and in documents such as manuals, graphs, and schedules. |
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F2 |
Writing: Communicates thoughts, ideas, information, and messages in writing; creates documents such as letters, directions, manuals, reports, graphs, and flow charts. |
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F3 |
Arithmetic: Performs basic computations; uses basic numerical concepts such as whole numbers, etc. |
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F4 |
Mathematics: Approaches practical problems by choosing appropriately from a variety of mathematical techniques. |
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F5 |
Listening: Receives, attends to, interprets, and responds to verbal messages and other cues. |
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F6 |
Speaking: Organizes ideas and communicates orally. |
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Thinking Skills: Thinks creatively, makes decisions, solves problems, visualizes, knows how to learn, and reasons. |
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F7 |
Creative Thinking: Generates new ideas. |
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F8 |
Decision Making: Specifies goals and constraints, generates alternatives, considers risks, and evaluates and chooses best alternative. |
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F9 |
Problem Solving: Recognizes problems and devises and implements plan of action. |
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F10 |
Seeing Things in the Mind's Eye: Organizes and processes symbols, pictures, graphs, objects, and other information. |
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F11 |
Knowing How to Learn: Uses efficient learning techniques to acquire and apply new knowledge and skills. |
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F12 |
Reasoning: Discovers a rule or principle underlying the relationship between two or more objects and applies it when solving a problem. |
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Personal Qualities: Displays responsibility, self-esteem, sociability, self-management, integrity, and honesty. |
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F13 |
Responsibility: Exerts a high level of effort and perseveres towards goal attainment. |
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F14 |
Self-Esteem: Believes in own self-worth and maintains a positive view of self. |
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F15 |
Sociability: Demonstrates understanding, friendliness, adaptability, empathy, and politeness in group settings. |
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F16 |
Self-Management: Assesses self accurately, sets personal goals, monitors progress, and exhibits self-control. |
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F17 |
Integrity/Honesty: Chooses ethical courses of action. |
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